Sunderland will expertise the Nightmare Earlier than Christmas after the Premier League fixture checklist served up a horror December run.
The Black Cats are again in England’s top-flight for the primary time because the 2016-17 marketing campaign because the membership battles to keep away from instantaneous relegation.
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Final 12 months, for the second successive season, each newly-promoted aspect suffered instantaneous returns to the Championship.
Sunderland will likely be aiming to buck that pattern and have been handed a beneficial begin to the brand new marketing campaign in opposition to West Ham.
Regis Le Bris’ aspect start their return on the Stadium of Mild earlier than going through fellow newly-promoted aspect Burnley in gameweek two.
Nevertheless, the true check of Sunderland’s Premier League credentials will likely be determined over the do-or-die festive interval.
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The Wearsiders face Liverpool, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester Metropolis twice, alongside a primary derby showdown with Newcastle.
At first of December, Sunderland have two testing journeys to the 2 groups which have shared the title for the previous eight years.
Sunderland first journey to Anfield to face champions Liverpool on December 3, with Man Metropolis on the Etihad subsequent up on December 6.
The relentless run continues with the eagerly awaited return of the Tyne-Put on derby in opposition to Newcastle at dwelling on December 13.
Sunderland should wait till December 27 to resume hostilities with Leeds, having didn’t beat the Championship winners throughout each conferences within the second-division final season.
Both aspect of that potential six-pointer will likely be a match away to Brighton, with the return dwelling match in opposition to Metropolis on December 30.
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Sunderland’s 2025-26 Premier League fixtures
If that wasn’t sufficient to make followers squirm, then Sunderland’s run-in can even have supporters diving for canopy behind their sofas.
On the finish of the season, the Black Cats may very well be battling for survival in opposition to Man United, Everton and Chelsea of their last three video games.
Sunderland triggered an upset of kinds within the Championship play-off last at Wembley final month, getting back from a aim down to beat favourites Sheffield United 2-1.
On that day, captain Luke O’Nien – who was pressured off after simply three minutes – was the one participant within the beginning 11 over the age of 25.
Sunderland legend Kevin Phillips has warned the membership that such reliance on youth received’t be sufficient again within the massive time.
“If this staff went into the Premier League I feel they’d actually battle,” he admitted.
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“Let’s be sincere about it, you’d love to present them a possibility however the gulf is so massive between the Premier League and the Championship.”
Phillips expects Sunderland to spend massive, with the squad already depleted additional following Jobe Bellingham’s £31million club-record swap to Borussia Dortmund final week.
He defined: “It was attention-grabbing listening to Niall Quinn, having been the chairman, he stated it causes all kinds of issues.
“It’s drawback to have, £210million, however they’ve to speculate it correctly, we’ve seen over time when golf equipment exit and purchase eight, 9, ten gamers with out actually doing their due diligence, with out analysing what they want.
“They must be actually intelligent within the switch market, they want to usher in 4 or 5 gamers to essentially strengthen.
“Nevertheless it’s an ideal drawback to have and will probably be actually attention-grabbing to see who Regis [Le Bris, manager] tries to recruit.
“They’re going to have a listing now of gamers they’re engaged on, however they’ve bought quite a lot of work to do, that’s for positive.”
