Ahead of Saturday and our return fixture against West Ham, I can’t help but cast my mind back to August 16th 2025. The Stadium of Light was absolutely pulsating and West Ham were the unfortunate souls tasked with welcoming us back to the Premier League. That 3-0 demolition job, with Eliezer Mayenda, Dan Ballard and Wilson Isidor writing their names into the season’s opening chapter, felt like somewhat of a fever dream.
With the power of retrospect, that win was not simply just the result of adrenaline
but was, instead, a statement. It told other teams in this league that we’re not here to make up the numbers.
As we near the end of January, we’re right in the mix for the European places, sitting comfortably on 33 points.
Twelve months ago, we were in the mire of the Championship, giving tactical mastermind Wayne Rooney and his soon-to-be-doomed Plymouth squad a generous point at our home ground.
Fast forward to today, and as we prepare for the return fixture at the Taxpayers’ Stadium on Saturday, the landscape has changed entirely. Had someone told me in that Plymouth game that we would not only be promoted but would then remain unbeaten at home during the first half of a Premier League season, I’d have called for a straitjacket.
What Régis Le Bris, along with Kristian Speakman, our recruitment team and the players themselves, have done in half a season is nothing short of remarkable.
From the home fixture against West Ham, I feel like we’re in an even stronger position as a team. Gone are the days of the slightly chaotic Championship side. Instead, in its place, is a disciplined, suffocating Premier League unit. Not only that, but the synergy between the players and fans is clear to see.
When we fell behind against Crystal Palace, there was no sense of panic or dread. We knew that chances would come.
By the end of the game, we were able to comfortably control and dictate the game against the 2024/2025 FA Cup winners.
Hitting 33 points before February is truly incredible. It represents a springboard and reflects one of the most exciting periods to be supporting Sunderland AFC. For me, any fear of relegation has been replaced by the genuine, albeit mildly terrifying, prospect of a European tour. Twelve months ago, we were sweating over Championship play-off permutations…
We head into this weekend sitting in 9th place and only 3 points away from 4th. Saturday isn’t just about three points, though. It’s about doing the double over a struggling West Ham side and providing a clear sign of how far the pendulum has swung. With solid recruitment and relentlessly high expectations driven from Granit Xhaka, we’re demonstrating that we are not just a “plucky” promoted side. Under Régis Le Bris, we’ve found a level of tactical maturity that, frankly, should have taken years to cultivate. This isn’t the same Sunderland of the late 2010s, where we relied upon miracles and had to endure weekly rallying cries. Instead, it’s a tactically astute outfit that has spent the last five months proving every pundit wrong.
The journey from August 16th to where we are today is remarkable. If the opening day win was a statement, then the last five months have been the proof. I, for one, can’t wait to see where we end up in 12 months.
