Sunderland has had an exceptional start to the new Championship season, renewing hopes of promotion to the Premier League once more.
Regis Le Bris has worked wonders at the Stadium of Light so far this season. The Frenchman, who only took the job in the summer, has won his first four Championship games.
The Black Cats have overcome Cardiff, Sheffield Wednesday, Burnley and Portsmouth to sit top of the division at the international break.
Since the Championship’s inception in the 2004/05 campaign, only eight teams, including Sunderland, have won their first four games.
In this article, Sunderland AFC News analyses the seven other clubs’ seasons to see where they finished by the campaign’s end.
Read more: The key dates for Sunderland’s 2024/25 campaign.
Leicester City 2023/24
The most recent club on this list, Leicester City got off to a flyer at the start of their 2023/24 campaign.
There was no relegation hangover from the Foxes as they quickly dispatched Coventry, Huddersfield, Cardiff and Rotherham in their opening four games.
From here, they would win nine of their next 10 matches and looked to storm to the Championship title until they hit a rocky spell in February.
Leicester then struggled to regain their momentum but managed to do just enough to win the league and earn instant promotion back to the top flight.
End of season finish: 1st
Ipswich 2017/18
The Tractor Boys had a surprising start to their campaign back in the 2017/18 season as they cruised into the top two.
Ipswich managed to overcome Birmingham, Barnsley, Millwall and Brentford to comfortably sit in the promotion places.
However, their form would soon come crashing down. Ipswich then lost six of their next eight games with consistency being a big issue throughout the season.
Despite a revival in February and March, the East Anglia club ended up mid-table once again.
End of season finish: 12th
Derby County 2011/12
Since their record-breaking relegation to the Championship, Derby had struggled to adapt back to the second tier.
Yet, at the start of the 2011/12 season, they witnessed the best start to a campaign in many years.
The Rams overcame Birmingham, Watford, Blackpool and Doncaster comfortably, all while only conceding one goal.
However, a terrible run of form in November pushed the side back down to mid-table as they finished 11 points outside the playoffs.
End of season finish: 12th
Read more: Every Sunderland signing and departure on transfer deadline day.
Reading 2020/21
Reading had a sensational start to their 2020/21 campaign. The club stormed the Championship, winning eight of their first nine matches.
This included dismantling Rotherham, Blackburn and Derby as they comfortably sat top of the league, seven points clear after nine games.
However, it all soon came crashing down. Three victories in their next 12 games followed.
A run of only one win in their final 11 games eventually condemned the side to seventh place, seven points outside of the playoffs.
End of season finish: 7th
Bristol City 2020/21
Another quick starter to the 2020/21 campaign, Bristol City looked to finally gain promotion into the top flight after years of failed challenges.
The club could not have wished for a better start as they beat Coventry, Stoke, Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest to sit top of the Championship table.
However, the Robins underwent a collapse like no other team on this list. The club would fail to find a win in its next five games as they slipped down the table.
Mid-way through the campaign, Bristol City lost 13 of 18 matches to condemn them further down the league.
By the season’s end, they managed to stay up as they finished 19th in an abysmal year.
End of season finish: 19th
Cardiff City 2017/18
Neil Warnock worked his magic once more in the 2017/18 campaign as he led Cardiff to an unbelievable start to their new season.
The Bluebirds overcame Burton, Aston Villa, Sheffield United and eventual Championship winners Wolves at Molineux to sit top of the league.
While the Welsh side did have a dip in form, a run of eight victories in a row put the club in prime position for promotion.
A draw at home to Reading on the final day fulfilled this dream as Cardiff secured a second-placed finish.
End of season finish: 2nd
Southampton 2011/12
The final club on this list, Southampton quickly adapted to life back in the Championship after their promotion from League One.
The Saints won six of their first seven games to sit top of the division and increase hopes of back-to-back promotions.
After a brief blip in December, Southampton went on to win eight out of 10 games between February and March.
A 4-0 victory against Coventry on the final day secured a second-place final for Southampton and promotion back to the Premier League.
End of season finish: 2nd