Football Season Guide

Sunderland ended an eight-year absence from the Premier League with a dramatic play-off final win over Sheffield United after finishing fourth in the table. In his first season at the club, coach Régis Le Bris worked with a youthful and talented squad, turning Sunderland’s defence into the fourth-stingiest (44 goals conceded) in the Championship. The Black Cats have raised some eyebrows during the preseason by spending big to convert their squad into a roster boasting top-flight quality. Starting midfielder Jobe Bellingham’s departure may have been a blow, but the team has been significantly strengthened with the signings of Omar Alderete, Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra, Simon Adingra, Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki, Robin Roefs and Reinildo Mandava – all of whom are expected to be starters. A coach who embraces youth development, Le Bris will be called to mould one of the youngest squads in the top flight into a team that can compete against Premier League powerhouses. His starting XI will feature several new faces and lack of team cohesion could be the main reason why they’ve struggled in preseason friendlies. Their main strength lies on their ability to hit on the counter. Last season, Sunderland were the best counter-attacking side towards the end of the Championship campaign, scoring nine goals from 50 shots at the end of fast breaks – a virtue that will be extremely useful in the top flight. Yet, we need to highlight the team’s lack of Premier League experience despite bringing in former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka. This could prove costly as has already happened on various occasions with newly-promoted sides in the past.