Harry Redknapp makes Sunderland U-turn as he drops big claim after loss vs Fulham
Harry Redknapp has made a huge prediction on which teams will be relegated following Sunderland’s 1-0 defeat to Fulham on Saturday.
Raul Jimenez struck in the 84th minute to seal all three points for the home side, and the result leaves the Black Cats sitting sixth in the Premier League table.
Sunderland were favourites for relegation at the start of the season, and the loss at Craven Cottage will not entirely dampen spirits after an excellent start to the campaign.
Harry Redknapp raved about Regis Le Bris’s side, and Sunderland’s 1-0 loss to Fulham certainly hasn’t changed his thoughts that the Black Cats should stay up.
Harry Redknapp backs Sunderland to avoid relegation despite Fulham loss
Sunderland are looking to become the first newly-promoted side to avoid relegation since the 2022-23 season.
Speaking in The Sun on Sunday on 23 November, Redknapp highlighted Sunderland as the team most likely to contradict early-season predictions.
He said: “At the start of the season, we all said that Sunderland and Burnley would go down, and Leeds might stay up because of their fantastic atmosphere at home.
“But they could all stay up, especially with the points Sunderland have got.”
| Match | Result |
| Fulham (a) | 1-0 L |
| Arsenal (h) | 2-2 D |
| Everton (h) | 1-1 D |
| Chelsea (a) | 2-1 W |
| Wolves (h) | 2-0 W |
Le Bris has done an excellent job at Sunderland this season, with the Black Cats winning crucial matches in games where you’d expect them to pick up points.
Despite failing to win in their last three games, the Black Cats are well on course to achieve Premier League safety at a canter.
The general threshold for survival is 40 points, and the fact that the Black Cats are already sitting on 19 shows how brilliantly they have adapted to the top flight.
The performance against Fulham was one of their worst to date, although few supporters will be disappointed with how things have gone under Le Bris.
- Read more: Regis Le Bris must end bizarre Sunderland experiment after what happened in Fulham defeat
The spine of Sunderland’s team has been crucial to their good form
Robin Roefs has been brilliant since signing from NEC Nijmegen in the summer transfer window, and he’s kept the Black Cats in games multiple times throughout the season.
Nordi Mukiele, Omar Alderete, and Dan Ballard have excelled at the heart of defence, and they’ve marshalled a back line that has only conceded 11 league goals in their 12 games.
Sunderland have a world-class midfielder on their hands, with his calming presence in the spine of the team allowing for Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra to flourish in the early parts of the season.
The spine is made up of many different components, and it’s rare to see a promoted team like Sunderland being able to have so much success in the centre of the pitch.
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