With the new season just days away we look back at the Black Cats last five Premier League opening games.
From defeat to the 5000/1 champions, the first game of the **Pep Guardiola** era and a stunning Premier League return after an eight-year absence.
**Sunderland 0-1 Fulham 17 August, 2013**
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**Paolo Di Canio’s** Sunderland suffered defeat to Fulham with five new summer signings handed starts.
Loanee **Ondřej Čelůstka** saw a shot from distance pushed over the bar by **Maarten Stekelenburg**.
Midfielder **Pajtim Kasami** scored the winner, rising above **Valentin Roberge** at the back-post, heading into the roof of **Kieren Westwood’s** net, early in the second half.
**Jozy Altidore** had a chance to start his career on Wearside in style, but dragged his effort wide just after the hour mark.
Sunderland could have snatched a point late on, but **Ji Dong-Won** headed wide.
**What did this mean for the rest of the season?**
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Well, after just five games Di Canio was sacked with Sunderland bottom of the table after claiming just a point.
**Gus Poyet** took over in mid-October and helped the Black Cats to their first league win of the campaign in the Wear-Tyne derby.
Sunderland left it late but completed the great escape with away victories over Chelsea and Manchester United, and a draw over champions Man City in their last six games, finishing 14th five points from the drop.
**West Brom 2-2 Sunderland 16 August, 2014**
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The Black Cats’ 2014-15 campaign kicked off at the Hawthorns, with Poyet’s side getting off to a very quick start.
**Lee Cattermole’s** thunderous strike from outside the area put the Black Cats ahead after just five minutes.
However, the Baggies turned the tie around, a brace from **Saido Berahino**, including a first-half penalty put Albion ahead and they looked likely to seal the three points.
Sunderland snatched a point late on, **Patrick van Aanholt’s** cutback was tapped home by **Sebastian Larsson**.
**Slow start but at what cost?**
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Wins were again hard to find in the early stages of the new campaign in red and white.
Poyet’s side won just three games in the first part of the year and, after the Uruguayan was replaced by **Dick Advocaat**, narrowly steered themselves away from safety finishing 16th.
**Leicester City 4-2 Sunderland 8 August, 2015**
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Sunderland headed to the King Power against heavy relegation favourites Leicester, who completed the greatest escape in the previous campaign.
Little did Sunderland know they were turning up to play the Premier League champions.
The Foxes cruised into a 3-0 lead scoring three quick fire goals in a 14-minute spell.
**Jamie Vardy** headed **Claudio Ranieri’s** side ahead, flicking on from **Marc Albrighton’s** free-kick.
Albrighton grabbed another assist just seven minutes later, his whipped ball in from the left was met by **Riyad Mahrez** whose glancing header beat **Costel Pantilimon**.
Mahrez added his second on the 25th minute from the penalty spot, sending Pantilimon the wrong way slotting into the bottom left corner.
**Jermain Defoe** netted the Black Cats’ first goal of the 2015-16 campaign, slotting past **Kasper Schmeichel**.
Albrighton regained the Foxes’ three-goal lead after a mistake from **Younes Kaboul**. The winger on the turn fired into the bottom corner, leaving Pantilimon helpless.
Sunderland grabbed a second in the 71st minute. Defoe lobbed the out-rushing Schmeichel, with **Steven Fletcher** on hand to head into the empty net.
**Another last-ditch escape**
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Again, a poor start caused great concern on Wearside. Sunderland picked up three points from their first nine games with victory over Newcastle once again kick-starting their campaign.
**Sam Allardyce** managed to help the Black Cats to a tenth consecutive Premier League campaign, surviving by just two points, relegating the Magpies in the process.
**Manchester City 2-1 Sunderland 13 August, 2016**
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Sunderland travelled to the Etihad to face Guardiola’s City, the start of his ten-year spell in England.
**Sergio Agüero** scored the first goal of the Guardiola era after van Aanholt brought down **Raheem Sterling** with a late challenge in the box.
The Argentine stepped up and smashed past **Vito Mannone** to put City ahead.
In the 71st minute Sunderland silenced the Etihad, **Jack Rodwell** slipped Defoe through, and the former England striker slotted the ball underneath **Willy Caballero** to put the Black Cats level.
City snatched victory in the 87th minute, in bizarre fashion. **Jesus Navas’** low cross was pushed away by Mannone but smashed defender **Paddy McNair** in the face and into the net.
**10 year stay comes to an end**
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Sunderland’s survival luck had run out, finishing bottom of the table and down to the Championship.
It took **David Moyes’** side until November to pick up their first three points in a torrid season on Wearside.
Sunderland plummeted to the second tier with just six wins, six draws and 24 points.
**Sunderland 3-0 West Ham 16 August, 2025**
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After eight years away Sunderland returned to the top flight in style with three second-half goals to sink the Hammers.
**Eliezer Mayenda** kick-started the Premier League return with a header after a cross from debutant **Omar Alderete** minutes after replacing **Jenson Seelt**, who had gone off injured.
Sunderland then extended their lead through **Dan Ballard** in true Ballard fashion - a header in-front of the south stand. **Simon Adingra’s** deflected cross fell to the Northern Ireland defender who headed past **Mads Hermansen** to double the lead.
Le Bris’ side put the cherry on the cake with a late break from **Wilson Isidor**. The striker drove forward before unleashing a strike into the bottom right corner.
**Perfect start, perfect finish**
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This season felt different. After nine games Sunderland had racked up 17 points, their joint best-ever start to a Premier League campaign, leading to a seventh placed finish.
**New season looms**
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Sunderland travel to Portman Road to face Ipswich on Saturday. The two sides met in the 2023-24 Championship opener at the Stadium of Light, with the visitors sealing a 2-1 win.
Can the Mackems repeat last seasons heroics with back-to-back opening day wins?