Sunderland’s relegation chances change after loss vs Man United as prediction made by supercomputer
Sunderland’s early season momentum was derailed a little by their 2-0 defeat at Manchester United.
Regis Le Bris’ side are eighth in the Premier League having taken 11 points from their first seven games, and if they keep that record up, they will comfortably avoid the drop.
Sunderland were favourites for relegation at the start of the season, and the loss at Old Trafford will not entirely dampen spirits after an excellent start to the campaign.
However, despite losing on Saturday, Sunderland fans will be interested to see that their survival chances have changed.
Supercomputer predicts Sunderland improvement despite Man United defeat
Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko’s first-half goals were enough for Man United to see off a resilient Sunderland side.
Sunderland were on the wrong end of controversial decisions in the match, specifically when referee Stuart Attwell changed his mind in the awarding of a Sunderland penalty after consultation with VAR.
Opta’s supercomputer has now predicted that the club will finish 16th in the Premier League, with Sunderland initially predicted to finish 17th before this Saturday’s match.
| Team | Current league Position | Predicted final position | Current points total | Expected points total |
| Sunderland | 8th | 16th | 11 | 39.52 |
| Leeds | 15th | 17th | 8 | 39.24 |
| West Ham | 19th | 18th | 4 | 37.42 |
| Wolves | 20th | 19th | 2 | 33.74 |
| Burnley | 18th | 20th | 4 | 33.33 |
Sunderland face Wolves at the Stadium of Light on 18 October, where a win would be hugely significant for the rest of the season.
Sunderland were initially predicted to finish 20th, yet smart recruitment and the Black Cats’ impressive home form has allowed them to surge up the Premier League table in the opening weeks of the campaign.
In the last two seasons, every newly-promoted team has gone straight back down to the Championship.
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.
A major component of being a successful promoted side in the Premier League is having a goalscorer who can step up in big moments, and Wilson Isidor has done exactly that.
Wilson Isidor will be crucial in for Sunderland’s survival hopes
Isidor made history for Sunderland in becoming Sunderland’s highest scorer after five Premier League games for the first time since Darren Fletcher in 2012.
All three of his goals have come at the Stadium of Light, with the game-winning header against Brentford giving Sunderland a massive boost at the start of the season.
What must come next is his ability to stay in games away from home against stronger opposition that will dominate the ball.
- Goals: 3
- Expected goals (xG): 1.23
- Shots: 15
- Shots on target: 5
Sunderland will need their wingers to start chipping in, with Simon Adingra yet to register a goal contribution for the club.
This season will test the mentality of Le Bris’ squad, with matches against all of last season’s top four still to come in the next few months.
However, it is clear to see that Sunderland are currently playing like a team that hasn’t even got relegation on its mind.
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