Sunderland will aim to defy the odds this season as they prepare for their first Premier League campaign since 2017.
The Black Cats have undergone a phenomenal resurgence in recent years, as seen on Netflix, regaining their Premier League status after featuring in the third tier of English football only three years ago.
Regis Le Bris will be tasked with keeping his Sunderland side in the top division this season, bucking the recent trend of newly-promoted sides suffering immediate relegation to the Championship.
Sunderland have gained the edge over their promoted rivals in the summer transfer window with expert recruitment, finding the perfect balance between youth and experience.
Most notably, ex-Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka will lead the engine room with Simon Adingra arriving at the Stadium of Light from Brighton & Hove Albion, and finally, the loan signing of Marc Guiu from Chelsea.
Sunderland Unveil New Signing Granit Xhaka
Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images
And despite the exciting acquisitions in the North East, there is still plenty of talent in the play-off winning side, who have all the tools to make an impact in the Premier League, with one name standing out.
Patrick Roberts can be like Marcus Rashford for Sunderland, according to Demetri Mitchell
Demetri Mitchell, a forward for Leyton Orient, is well-known among supporters for sharing his football opinions on X.
The 28-year-old began his career at the Manchester United academy, where he played alongside Marcus Rashford, but has since spent the majority of his career in the lower leagues of English football.
He also played alongside Patrick Roberts when representing England at the youth level. The pair first lined up together in the Under-16s and continued up to the Under-20s.
Now, in a recent X post that will undoubtedly excite the Sunderland faithful, Mitchell has claimed that Roberts is on the same level as the Barcelona loanee when ranking the top-five dribblers he has played with.
Roberts was dubbed “outstanding” at Celtic but often bounced from loan move to loan move during his seven-year stint at Manchester City, struggling to live up to his highly regarded potential.
After a woeful 2023/24 campaign, he returned to his best form for Sunderland last term, recording two goals and eight assists in the Championship; however, he must significantly improve his goal contributions if he is to help the Black Cats survive this season.
How does Patrick Roberts compare to his Sunderland teammates?
Although goals and assists metrics only tell one side of the story, they are important statistics to consider when evaluating whether a player is suited for the Premier League.
Nevertheless, Roberts moulds his game around taking on his opposition defender using his flair and technique to fashion chances for his teammates.
However, summer signing Chemsdine Taibi has Roberts beat in that regard, having completed more successful dribbles with Club Brugge last season.
Rank Player Dribbles Attempted (24/25 season) Dribbles Success Rate (24/25 season)
1 Chemsdine Taibi 37 56.8%
2 Patrick Roberts 157 45.2%
3 Simon Adringa 50 42%
4 Romaine Mundle 89 39.3%
As recorded by FBref
The 20-year-old attempted over 100 dribbles less than Roberts but was far more successful in beating his opponent and arguably against more formidable opposition in the Belgian Pro League.
According to Mitchell, he may be one of the best dribblers he has played alongside, but at least until the start of the Premier League season, he cannot be regarded as the best dribbler at the Stadium of Light.