Sunderland dressing room gets early ‘enormous boost’ at Stadium of Light
Sunderland crowned their return to the Premier League with a stunning 3-0 win over West Ham.
There have been 12 new arrivals at the Stadium of Light, but that did not affect the momentum of Regis Le Bris’ side.
Eight debutants starred in Sunderland’s 3-0 victory over the Hammers on Saturday, with Granit Xhaka taking a lot of the plaudits.
They will now be hoping to push on and cement their Premier League status.
Mackem News presents the exclusive opinion of iconic football commentator Ian Darke.
Sunderland can stay in the Premier League
Sunderland have been tipped for Premier League relegation, but they will believe that they can survive after that impressive result over an established top-flight club.
Darke believes that the Black Cats will have increased confidence in staying in the division after the resounding victory on 16 August.
Speaking exclusively to Mackem News, he said: “They’ve invested quite wisely to bring in some Premier League quality, and that result will boost belief enormously in the dressing room and among fans.
“They look to have a fighting chance“
What do Sunderland need to do next?
Well, their next two matches before the international break are favourable, against fellow relegation contenders Burnley and Brentford.
If Le Bris’ side could secure victory in both of those matches, it would vastly increase their survival chances, especially with the likes of Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest to come after that kind run.
The gap between established top-flight clubs and the promoted teams has been at an all-time high, but the Mackems will be confident of bridging that gap after their opening result.
- Sunderland only had 37 per cent of the possession against the Hammers
- The Black Cats recorded 10 shots to the Irons’ 12
- Le Bris’ side created a total of 0.75xG to the visitors’ 0.56
There is still work to be done in the transfer market to improve the squad, though, with Bologna centre-back Jhon Lucumi seemingly the next signing on the cards in Wearside.
After that, though, Kristjaan Speakman and Co. still need to make additions, with a new attacker one of the priorities for the North East outfit, despite the signings of Chemsdine Talbi and Simon Adingra.
The squad is starting to come together, though, and supporters and players will be confident that they can get the job done together after a brilliant win over the Irons.
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