Wayne Rooney believes Sunderland have given Leeds United and Burnley a blueprint on how to win games in the Premier League and pick up enough points to avoid relegation this season. Last season's play-off final winners got off to a flying start on their long-awaited return to the top flight when beating West Ham United 3-0 at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon.
With three of last season's key men in helping them get out of the Championship having a telling impact on the game with the goals that fired the Black Cats to three points, Sunderland showed there are points up for grabs, despite what many have said about how the newly promoted teams will struggle and are set for relegation.
Last season it took until October before one of the promoted sides picked up a win, now it has come on the opening weekend. While nobody expects Leeds, Burnley or Sunderland to find it anything but tough this season, Rooney does believe Sunderland's performance in which they played almost as the away team despite being at home, underlined an approach that can bring rewards.
Asked if sitting deep and counter-attacking is the blueprint for promoted teams to be able to get enough points to survive this season, Rooney said; "I think it has to be!
"We saw last season with the promoted teams coming up and we saw it particularly with Burnley coming up before under Vincent Kompany and trying to play and being expansive. You just can't do that. The gap between the Championship to the Premier League is massive.
"I think the way Sunderland played showed that you can get results in this league if you are organised, you work hard and you stick together as a team."
Leeds will hope they can show off those key traits this evening when they welcome Everton to Elland Road for their first game back in the top flight for three seasons.