Sunderland return to Premier League after eight-year wait | OneFootball

It has been eight years since Sunderland last competed in the Premier League, but the wait is finally over.

Sunderland’s downfall started in 2017, when they failed to retain their top-flight status.

They’ve since wandered between the Championship and League One before Regis Le Bris helped them find a way back to the elite division.

It wasn’t plain sailing by any stretch of the imagination, considering the Black Cats had to navigate the dreaded play-off to earn promotion.

A 2-1 win over Sheffield United in the Wembley showpiece sent fans into raptures, sparking wild celebrations as Sunderland finally secured their long-awaited return to the Premier League.

However, Le Bris’ charges head into the 2025/26 season as the least-fancied side to maintain their top-flight standing.

Without further ado, here is our Sunderland season preview.

Sunderland Fixtures

Sunderland’s first Premier League match since May 2017 pits them against West Ham United at the Stadium of Light on August 16, followed by their first away game at Burnley’s Turf Moor.

The Black Cats’ first encounter against the traditional ‘Big Six’ sees them take on Manchester United at Old Trafford at the start of October, while they visit Chelsea towards the end of the month.

December promises to be ruthless for Sunderland.

Starting with an away clash against reigning holders Liverpool, they face an ominous-looking six-game stretch towards the end of the calendar year, featuring a double-header against Manchester City.

The first Tyne-Wear derby of the season against Newcastle United takes place at the Stadium of Light on December 13. The reverse fixture is on March 21.

Le Bris’ charges face familiar foes Leeds United on Boxing Day before closing out the year at home to Man City.

They kick off 2025 with an away game at Tottenham Hotspur and then face three consecutive matches against London clubs.

Sunderland’s season ends with a mouth-watering home clash against Chelsea.

1Manager

Despite guiding Sunderland back to the Premier League against all odds, Le Bris’ experience in top-flight management is relatively sparse.

Before joining the Black Cats, he was in charge of French side Lorient, whom he helped finish 10th in his first season in Ligue 1, only to suffer relegation the following year.

However, it’s worth noting that the job at Stade du Moustoir was his first high-profile managerial role at a senior level, meaning he is still relatively new to the demands of elite divisions.

Le Bris has often made up for the lack of experience with his detail-oriented approach and ability to build hard-working teams, as was the case with Sunderland last season.

Defensive solitude was the hallmark of the Frenchman’s maiden season at the Stadium of Light, with only three Championship sides conceding fewer goals than Sunderland’s 44.

Le Bris’ effort to fortify the Black Cats’ defence took its toll in attack, as they were the lowest-scoring team to reach the play-offs, with only 58 goals.

Those statistics hardly make for promising reading, casting doubt on Sunderland’s capability to maintain consistent scoring at the highest level.

Transfers

Aware of the size of the task awaiting them in the Premier League, Sunderland have been frantically searching for reinforcements this summer.

Like their fellow promoted clubs, they’ve signed around a dozen new players in the summer transfer window in a desperate effort to avoid an immediate drop. But there’s a feeling that they’ve done a better job than Burnley and Leeds.

Experienced full-backs Reinildo Mandava and Arthur Masuaku have joined as free agents to provide competition at left-back.

Sunderland have also snapped up Marc Guiu from Chelsea on loan to bolster the attacking department after the departures of Jobe Bellingham and Tom Watson.

Perhaps frustrated by the lack of scoring output in 2024/25, they have significantly strengthened their frontline with the arrivals of Simon Adingra and Chemsdine Talbi.

Le Bris has paid close attention to boosting his midfield options.

Former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka has arrived from Bayer Leverkusen, while the club broke their transfer record to lure Habib Diarra from Strasbourg in a £30 million deal.

In addition, they’ve captured the signatures of Noah Sadiki from Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and Enzo Le Fee, who spent the second half of last season on loan from Roma.

As for the outgoings, second-string goalkeeper Nathan Bishop has moved to AFC Wimbledon for an undisclosed fee, while Adil Aouchiche joined Aberdeen on a season-long loan.

Starting XI

Le Bris frequently adjusts his formations.

His tactical flexibility saw Sunderland line up in several different set-ups throughout their promotion-winning campaign, ranging from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2. He may favour the latter in the top flight.

Anthony Patterson has been brilliant in goal, giving the French manager no reason not to keep him as the starting goalkeeper this season.

Luke O’Nien and Chris Mepham were the preferred centre-back pairing last term, but with the latter returning to Bournemouth, Daniel Ballard will probably take his place.

Trai Hume has locked down the right-back spot, while the left-back position remains a contest between Dennis Cirkin and Leo Hjelde, with the former slightly ahead in the pecking order.

Mandava should get the nod on the left flank.

Sunderland’s midfield will likely undergo significant changes compared to last season.

Captain Dan Neil and Bellingham were the core members of the midfield in 2024/25. Diarra seems the likeliest candidate to fill the void left by Bellingham.

Chris Rigg and Le Fee should keep their spots on the flanks, which could include a new addition in the form of Adingra.

Sunderland desperately lacked a prolific goal-scorer last term. But they hope Wilson Isidor can hit the ground running in the Premier League, with Adingra likely to provide support in the final third.

(4-4-2): Patterson; Hume, O’Nien, Ballard, Mandava; Neil, Diarra, Rigg, Le Fee; Adingra, Isidor.

Star Player

Adingra showed plenty of promise at Brighton & Hove Albion but had to live in the shadow of Joao Pedro.

However, the 23-year-old winger looks set for a central role at Sunderland, who may rely heavily on his speed to fuel their quick counter-attacking style.

The quicksilver forward has been impressive in the last two Premier League seasons, but this could be his breakout campaign.

He only tallied two goals and two assists in 29 league games last season, but he was mostly coming off the bench for the Seagulls.

Prediction

Fans can expect Sunderland to put up a spirited fight, considering they may be the most motivated side heading into the 2025/26 season.

However, Le Bris must deal with a bloated squad, which could prove counterproductive, and find a way to fit in ten new players.

While the club went to great lengths to strengthen the squad, their effort will likely be futile, with the Black Cats likely to finish at the foot of the table.

Predicted finish: 20th.

Watch Premier League Live on TV

All 380 Premier League games are shown on Sky Sports and TNT Sports in the UK, while NBC Sports holds the rights to Premier League games in the USA. See our Premier League live streaming page for more information.

Read Next: Our full Premier League 2025/26 preview (with links to all individual Premier League team previews).