When Sunderland were promoted to the Premier League following their last-gasp winner in the Championship playoff final against Sheffield United, there was a near-unanimous concensus among pundits – the Black Cats would not survive in England’s top flight.
Nevertheless, Sunderland have defied the experts so far. They currently sit fourth in the league table, above teams such as Manchester City, Liverpool and bitter rivals Newcastle United.
But how have they done it? Today, we’ll take a look at how Sunderland have smashed expectations and whether they can maintain their excellent form throughout the 2025/26 season.
Influence of Regis le Bris
First of all, we must touch upon the stellar job that Regis le Bris has done at the Stadium of Light. He initially arrived in Wearside to little fanfare, following the abject failure that was Michael Beale’s tenure.
Hopes were not high – but the Frenchman turned the fans’ uncertainty into rapturous support very quickly. At the time of writing, he holds a win percentage of 45.9% at Sunderland.
An adaptable manager, Le Bris likes to mix up his tactical approach depending on the situation. For example, against Chelsea, he used a 5-4-1 formation to soak up their attacking onslaught and hit them on the break. It worked, as Sunderland came away with a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge.
In contrast, he used a 4-2-3-1 formation against Nottingham Forest, as he felt his side could go toe-to-toe with the Trees. Again, it was a success, as the Black Cats ran out as 1-0 victors.
Managers such as Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou have been widely panned for their tactical rigidity. Le Bris could not be any further from this philosphy – he is almost chameleonic in his approach to management.
Stellar summer signings
Sunderland knew they need to add reinforcements when they were promoted – as such, their forays into the transfer market were numerous. Things looked bleak when star man Jobe Bellingham joined Borussia Dortmund, but the money was reinvested very effectively.
The most notable signing of the summer for Sunderland was Granit Xhaka, who had previously found success at Arsenal and won the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen.
He came in with plenty of pedigree and has delivered on the hype, functioning as a tireless midfield general and captaining the team as he did at the Emirates.
Omar Alderete has also proven to be an excellent piece of business. A powerful centre-back with an eye for goal, he has been a mainstay of their first team this season (injuries notwithstanding).
However, the best buy of the summer for Sunderland has to be Robin Roefs.
Bought for a meagre £11.5 million (including add-ons), Roefs has swiftly established himself as one of the best young goalkeepers in the world. Roefs has the 2nd best save percentage in the PL at the moment, having kept out 82.1% of the shots he has faced.
Can Sunderland finish in the top half of the Premier League?
At such an early stage, it’s difficult to say if Sunderland’s strong form will remain consistent throughout the 2025/26 season.
Despite this, it is worth noting that Sunderland face a lot of shots, while fashioning comparatively few of their own. They are 18th in the Premier League in terms of shots taken and 5th in shots against.
This will likely catch up with the Black Cats before long. They have shown they have what it takes to compete in the Premier League, but they will need to solidfy their status before they can start mounting a serious challenge for European football.
Can Sunderland rival Bournemouth as the surprise package of the PL this term? They certainly seem like they could – we shall see.