Sunderland’s 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United on Friday night extended the team’s winless run to six games.
The Black Cats previously had five consecutive draws, starting with the 0-0 against QPR on 2 November and ending with the 0-0 versus West Brom last Tuesday.
Having been top of the Championship a few weeks ago, Sunderland fans have understandably developed concerns that Regis Le Bris’ side are on the decline.
One expert has now given his verdict on whether supporters should ‘panic’ about the club’s recent form.
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Sunderland expert gives honest verdict on recent form
Sunderland expert James Copley took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his thoughts on the state of play at the Stadium of Light.
“You need to put it into perspective,” he said. “Sunderland have had a really decent start to the season and there have been a lot of injuries, suspensions and bad luck here and there.
“I don’t feel like it’s panic stations yet. I haven’t been really concerned about the performances and the dropoff.
“There have been elements in games that have annoyed and frustrated but I don’t think it’s an irretrievable situation.
“I still think at the very least Sunderland are a top-six team and I haven’t seen anything to change that in the last six games.”
Some Black Cats supporters won’t share Copley’s enthusiasm but he is probably right at this moment, there’s an awfully long way to go.
In a 46-game season, a team can afford to go six games without winning and still earn promotion, as long as they go on an extended run of good form afterwards.
Sunderland should get back to winning ways vs Stoke City
Sunderland must not overlook Stoke City as they have failed to beat worse teams (Preston, Coventry, QPR) in recent weeks.
But the Potters are in the bottom half of the Championship table, having also gone several games without a win (four).
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 12 |  Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 22 | 27 | -5 | 25 |
| 13 |  SwanseaSwansea | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 23 |
| 14 |  Stoke CityStoke City | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 19 | 22 | -3 | 21 |
| 15 |  DerbyDerby | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 22 | 24 | -2 | 20 |
| 16 |  CoventryCoventry | 18 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 27 | -3 | 18 |
Especially with the fans getting behind the team at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, Regis Le Bris and his players should fancy their chances.
The key area for Sunderland to focus on is chance creation, as they are ranked 21st in the Championship for xG in home games.