The big Sunderland selection debate after Everton draw
The stats experts at Opta have delivered their latest predicted final Premier League table.
Sunderland have gone from strength to strength during the first three months of their return to the Premier League and will head into Saturday’s home clash with leaders Arsenal full of confidence.
The Black Cats hierarchy set the tone for the season with an ambitious summer transfer window that brought eye-catching deals for the likes of Union Saint-Gilloise midfielder Noah Sadiki, highly-rated goalkeeper Robin Roefs and former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka. The momentum built up by that recruitment drive continued into the season as Regis Le Bris’ men kicked off their campaign with a fine 3-0 home win against West Ham United and have gone on to rack up impressive victories against the likes of Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Chelsea.
In a clear sign of just how far the Black Cats have come in such a short space of time, there was an element of disappointment following Monday’s home draw with an Everton side managed by former Black Cats boss David Moyes. A fine finish from Iliman Ndiaye gave the Toffees the lead on the quarter of an hour mark - but the points were shared when Xhaka grabbed his first goal for the club just minutes after the restart. Sunderland may feel they could and should have collected all three points and that could have lifted them into second place in the Premier League table.
As it stands, only leaders Arsenal and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have more points than the Black Cats so far this season - but where are Sunderland predicted to finish after their remarkable start to life back at English football’s top table?
Where are Sunderland predicted to finish in this season’s Premier League table?
Le Bris' promoted heroes.placeholder image
Le Bris' promoted heroes. | AFP via Getty Images
Stats experts Opta produced a predicted final Premier League table that is regularly updated based on results throughout the season. Unsurprisingly, Burnley, Leeds United and Sunderland were initially predicted to finish in the bottom three when the campaign kicked off as Opta projected all three newly-promoted clubs would suffer an immediate return to the Championship. However, the Black Cats impressive form has ensured their predicted final position is somewhat different to what it was when their return to the top flight was marked with that memorable home win against West Ham United. So how does the predicted final table look following that battling home draw against Everton?
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1. Arsenal - 81.77 points 2. Manchester City - 70.87 points 3. Liverpool - 70.25 points 4. Chelsea - 62.64 points 5. Crystal Palace - 59.90 points 6. Aston Villa - 58.75 points 7. Bournemouth - 58.06 points 8. Manchester United - 56.18 points 9. Brighton and Hove Albion - 55.87 points 10. Tottenham Hotspur - 55.84 points 11. Newcastle United - 55.48 points 12. Brentford - 51.33 points 13. Everton - 45.99 points 14. Sunderland - 45.51 points 15. Fulham - 45.44 points 16. Leeds United - 37.87 points 17. Burnley - 37.63 points 18. Nottingham Forest - 37.01 points 19. West Ham United - 36.14 points 20. Wolverhampton Wanderers - 27.20 points
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