Sunderland go into the September international break in 1st place of the Championship table.
Four wins from four under new boss Regis Le Bris has made for a perfect start to the 2024/25 season for Sunderland, whilst also setting the bar very high for the reminder of the campaign.
Last time out, Sunderland beat Portsmouth 3-1. Now there’s a two-week break before the Black Cats return to Championship action vs Plymouth Argyle, in another long-haul trip for the first-team and for the fans.
The trip to face Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle marks the start of another five-game stretch for Sunderland before the October international break.
Le Bris will of course be hoping for another clean sweep in the Championship, and to keep his side in 1st place of the table.
But the Black Cats have some tricky fixtures coming up. Now with four games down, teams will start to have a better idea of Sunderland’s style of play under Le Bris, and possibly how they can be stopped.
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Sunderland next five fixtures
After the trip to Plymouth Argyle, Sunderland then host north-east rivals Middlesbrough in a midday kick-off on the following Saturday.
The Saturday after Middlesbrough, Sunderland travel to face the current 2nd place team Watford, before a midweek fixture against Derby County at the Stadium of Light.
On November 4th, Sunderland host Leeds United in another late kick-off, before the international break.
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Which of those games are winnable for Sunderland
Games against Plymouth Argyle and Derby County certainly feel like must-wins for Sunderland if they’re to go on and challenge for promotion this season.
And Black Cats fans might also fancy their chances against Middlesbrough, who’ve so far been very indifferent this season.
Michael Carrick’s side side in 7th place of the table but have been beaten by Derby County in the league, held by Portsmouth, also being thumped 5-0 by Stoke City in the Carabao Cup.
Meanwhile, games against Leeds United and Watford may prove to be the tough ones for Le Bris’ side.
Watford are in 2nd on 10 points right now, and Leeds United in 4th; Leeds have also had some mixed results this season, but with the individual quality in their side, they’ll surely become stronger and stronger as the season goes on.
For Sunderland, going unbeaten in the next five games would be an incredible achievement, and picking up two or three wins would be likewise.
It’s difficult not to get carried away given this impressive start to the season, but hopes are certainly high going into the next round of games.