"As early as two or three years" - Exciting Sunderland, Premier League prediction issued | OneFootball

The Black Cats have been away from the top flight since 2017, but there are positive signs.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Sunderland have made an extremely promising start to the new Championship campaign, and sit top of the table as the division stops for the first international break.

It can be said that many have been surprised by the start that Regis Le Bris' team have made in the 2024/25 season, winning all four of their opening fixtures, scoring 10 goals, and conceding just once.

In fact, Sunderland were rather unlucky to have had their resolute defence breached, with the only blip on their near-perfect record coming in the 91st minute in last weekend's 3-1 victory over Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

Captain Luke O'Nien inadvertently headed the ball into his own net to give Pompey a consolation goal, but the Black Cats will be extremely happy with how the first month went.

Sunderland's start could be a sign of things to come

There will be conversations in the coming weeks over whether Sunderland can carry this form on, and if so, for how long.

Although it is incredibly early days, there will be subsections of the Stadium of Light crowd that believe their team is more than capable of putting together a solid promotion challenge.

The Black Cats have not been in the Premier League since the 2016/17 season, but after a double-relegation to League One, the club is back on the up.

FLW's Sunderland Fan Pundit, Eddy Bamber, agrees that his team are in their best position for years, and could find themselves back in the top flight soon: "I can see Sunderland getting in the Premier League in the next five years. I think it could be as early as two or three years.

"The club is making steady progress both on and off the pitch. David Bruce, who became the Chief Business Officer, has transformed the off-field operations. The retail side of it is so much better than it used to be, and the club is making money that it just didn't even seem to try to make in previous years.

"If the off-field operations are successful, it gives the club as a whole the best chance to succeed," he said.

"But as well as that, the club's making money on the football side of things. Christian Speakman is doing a great job of signing players for free or for very small amounts of money and selling them for big, big profit.

"Every time we sell a player and replace them, we're strengthening in each position and over the course of a few years we'll be able to build up a squad that will mount a realistic title challenge and get promoted."

Sunderland must not return to their past ways

Although the club is now on a positive curve, for much of the 2010s there were incredible struggles off the pitch.

Uncertainties surrounding the club's ownership led to a decline on the pitch, and an eventual four-year stay in the third tier before their fortunes turned.

If Sunderland are promoted in the next five years, then spending beyond their means should not be the way they operate. In recent years they have excelled at bringing through young players, and should continue to do this until they are a settled Premier League club.

The future is extremely bright at the Stadium of Light, and the impressive start to 2024/25 will only bring more excitement to supporters.