Sunderland, Leeds United and Burnley will all take their place in the Premier League next season.
Excitement and anticipation has already enveloped Wearside as Sunderland prepare to make their long-awaited return to the Premier League.
Eight years have passed since the Black Cats last competed in the top flight of English football and it would be safe to suggest Sunderland supporters have been subjected to a difficult period in the club’s history throughout their absence. After suffering relegation under David Moyes in 2017, Sunderland slipped into League One for only the second time in their history 12 months later and were left in the third tier for four seasons before a play-off final win against Wycombe Wanderers finally claimed a return to the Championship.
After a play-off semi-final defeat against Luton Town in their first season back in the second tier, Sunderland experienced a below-par campaign in 2023/24 as they ended the season in the bottom half of the Championship table. Little was known of what to expect following the appointment of former Lorient head coach Regis Le Bris last summer - but the Frenchman has gone on to surpass all expectations with an outstanding first season in charge.
After securing a fourth place finish in the Championship, the Black Cats emerged victorious from their play-off semi-final clash with Coventry City as Le Bris’ men claimed a 3-2 aggregate win thanks to a last-gasp winner from defender Dan Ballard. Wembley disappointment looked set to follow when Tyrese Campbell fired Sheffield United in front in the play-off final last month - but an Eliezer Mayenda equaliser and a fine finish from academy product Tommy Watson brought an end to Sunderland’s absence from the Premier League.
Champions Leeds United and runners-up Burnley will join the Black Cats in the top flight when the new campaign gets underway in August - but what could lie ahead for the newly promotion trio? We take a look at an early predicted final Premier League table with the help of AI tool Grok3.
AI’s predicted Premier League table
The Premier League season is coming to an end.The Premier League season is coming to an end.
The Premier League season is coming to an end. | Getty Images
1st: Liverpool - 88 points 2nd: Arsenal - 80 points 3rd: Manchester City - 78 points 4th: Newcastle United - 72 points 5th: Chelsea - 68 points 6th: Aston Villa - 65 points 7th: Nottingham Forest - 62 points 8th: Tottenham Hotspur - 60 points 9th: Brighton and Hove Albion - 58 points 10th: Fulham - 55 points 11th: Manchester United - 54 points 12th: Everton - 52 points 13th: West Ham United - 50 points 14th: Bournemouth - 48 points 15th: Brentford - 46 points 16th: Leeds United - 42 points 17th: Crystal Palace - 40 points 18th: Wolverhampton Wanderers - 38 points 19th: Burnley - 34 points 20th: Sunderland - 30 points
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