Sunderland exceeded expectations in their first Premier League season after promotion, finishing seventh and qualifying for Europe despite widespread relegation predictions. The article examines why bookmakers still view them as likely candidates for the drop, arguing that concerns over their underlying statistics, a supposed “second-season syndrome” and European commitments deserve scrutiny rather than automatic acceptance.

Their expected-goals record was among the league’s weakest, suggesting results may have flattered them, but their performances improved after six players returned from the Africa Cup of Nations and they finished the campaign with mid-table-level metrics. The article also notes that only 11 of the previous 52 promoted teams to survive their first Premier League season were relegated the following year, challenging the idea that a second-season collapse is common.