This has been a long time coming for Sunderland. Eight years in the wilderness had them dreading the worst. The fact that their period of gloom coincided with eternal rivals Newcastle United’s era of resurgence must have stung particularly badly. From being in the Premier League to slugging it out in League One, the fall from grace was stunning.
Yet they believed. And now they are back. Coventry City make way for Chelsea, Liverpool replace Lincoln City, and Milton Keynes Dons are succeeded by the glitz and glamour of Manchester City. The Sunderland players dreamt of this, and now the dream is a walking reality for players and fans alike.
The Black Cats had been stuck in the lower divisions for eight long years, spending four each in League One and the Championship. How they would love to be stuck in the Premier League for a similar duration, if not for longer.
Staying in the Premier League for more than one season has been a problem for promoted sides—none have stayed up in the past two seasons. They’ve been coming into the Premier League with lofty aspirations and sky-high expectations, only to falter at the first time of asking, at which point they face the inevitable prospect of a prolonged dogfight in the second tier.
Make no mistake, Sunderland are well and truly up against it. No sooner was their promotion confirmed than they were earmarked as one of the favourites to go down. To further add to this pessimistic outlook, recent history is not kind to the newly promoted teams. None of the six sides that made it to the Premier League over the past two seasons crossed the 30-point threshold. Southampton almost made history in one of the worst ways possible.
There’s not much confidence among the laypeople about Sunderland’s capabilities. After a heartbreaking exit from the playoffs in 2022/23, they finished 16th the season after. This season did not inspire much belief either, as they just about squeezed into the playoffs despite losing five straight games on the bounce. Tom Watson, whose goal is the reason they are now in the top flight, is off to Brighton. There are enough reasons to believe Sunderland may eventually, inevitably, suffer the same fate as the six teams that came up before them.
However, there are pros too. Intelligence and resourcefulness in the transfer market will be crucial. You can spend all the money in the world but still go down—just ask Ipswich Town, who spent almost £150 million, but only Liam Delap has shown the potential to recoup some of that investment.
Sunderland have been brilliant in this aspect. For a long time, they were considered a landing spot for ageing stars looking for one last hurrah. This has now changed. They’ve taken a leaf out of the Brentford and Brighton playbook: go for young-yet-good players.
And it has worked a treat. Eliezer Mayenda, Chris Rigg, and Jobe Bellingham—three regulars who started the playoff final—are 20, 17, and 19 years old, respectively. Promotion also boosts Sunderland’s chances of retaining the younger Bellingham sibling.
Promotion also means that they can make Enzo Le Fée’s move from Roma permanent. Add to the above three Le Fée, top scorer Wilson Isidor, and Romaine Mundle, and Sunderland have on their hands a young, hungry, and precocious core waiting to be unleashed into the Premier League.
Sunderland have all the makings of a side that can stay in the Premier League. The team from Wearside are built on stories of great escapes and improbable survival. While this young crop might not necessarily know about it, they’ve proved time and again this season that those qualities lie within them. If football this year has taught us anything, it’s that any team can achieve great things on their day.
Here are a bunch of young players who, under a new head coach, punched above their weight, puncturing the general consensus to achieve what few believed was possible. Their biggest challenge now will be to do it again—against bigger, better, and stronger opponents.
The Black Cats have made their way back to the English top flight. And they are ready to cut the paths of their illustrious opponents next season.
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