Could Sunderland become the Premier League’s best ever promoted team?

Could Sunderland become the Premier League’s best ever promoted team?

The last few years have seen the gap between English football’s top-flight and the EFL Championship reach new levels due to a multiple range of reasons. With the last two seasons seeing all three teams promoted from the second tier fail to retain a place in the Premier League following promotion, eventually being relegated without much of a fight.

However, that trend is set to come to an end this season with Regis Le Bris’s Sunderland. The Black Cats have taken to the 25/26 Premier League like a duck to water, sitting fourth in the table after eleven games played with five wins and four draws and just two losses, with only table leaders Arsenal losing less.

WE ARE SUNDERLAND. pic.twitter.com/BMy6bR50DF

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) November 9, 2025

Sunderland, one of English football’s most successful clubs with six top flight titles and two FA cups, fell into one of the worst periods of their history following relegation from the Premier League in 2016-2017, as they then suffered a successive relegation to League One, tasting third tier football for the first time since 1987.

After four seasons in League One, they finally managed promotion back to the Championship in 2021-22, with a dramatic last minute winner in the playoff final vs Charlton Athletic. And after two mixed seasons back in the second tier, where they finished 6th and 16th respectively, Le Bris led the North East side to the Premier League in similar fashion to how they got promoted to the Championship three years previously, with a last minute winner at Wembley in the playoff final.

With the club back in the big time after nearly a decade away, and with quality throughout the league at an all-time high, they knew they needed to invest heavily in order to be in the fight to stay up. And spend big they did, with over £150 million going on new signings in the 2025 summer window, the most high-profile being the eye-catching edition of Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka for just £14 million, with Xhaka immediately becoming the team's new captain.

That's OUR captain 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/74WRBxiIP5

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) November 9, 2025

And with the Swiss at the heart of their midfield, and with other new signings Nordi Mukiele and goalkeeper Robin Roefs also impressing, Le Bris’s Sunderland have already rid themselves of any serious relegation concerns, sitting nine points away from the relegation zone as ambitions quickly turn into just how high up the table can they finish, and can they go down as one of the Premier League’s most impressive newly promoted sides?

In modern times, the best promoted team has been Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 2018-2019 campaign, where under the guidance of Nuno Espirito Santo and his 3-4-3 formation, Wolves took the season by storm and finished seventh, qualifying from the Europa League.

The team can be seen as having many parallels to that of this current Sunderland side, Santo’s Wolves were a strong, physical outfit who were especially tough to beat at home. Which was seen as Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal all came and went from Molineux defeated, and they were led by a star midfielder in their own right, with ex-Porto man Ruben Neves acting as what can be seen as their Xhaka.

Ruben Neves sends Molineux into delirium 🐺#GoalOfTheDay | @Wolves pic.twitter.com/eR2jsdTFId

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 3, 2022

Going back further, viewers of the Premier League in the early 2000’s would point towards Ipswich Town of the 2000/01 season. The Tractor Boys, who were expected to struggle in the top tier following a dramatic promotion playoff final win vs Barnsley, took everyone by surprise to finish fifth on their return to the Premier League after five years away.

An enjoyable, attacking outfit led by the goals of forward Marcus Stewart, who’s nineteen strikes led them to qualify for the UEFA Cup (now known as the Europa League) however, the struggles of European football and second season syndrome caught up with George Burley and Ipswich as they were relegated the following season.

What a header! 😍

Marcus Stewart for Ipswich Town in their 3-2 win over Manchester City at Maine Road in 2000 ⏮️👀 pic.twitter.com/c4vfF3YVbW

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 21, 2024

Furthermore, Sunderland themselves have been in a similar position to now previously, as a year before Ipswich in 1999-00 they followed a 105 point promotion with a seventh placed finish in the top flight. That version of the Black Cats was a team that featured a strike force to be feared, with the front duo of Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips cementing themselves as one of the best attacking partnerships across England and perhaps even Europe at the time.

Phillips himself was the star of the show in red and white, as the striker smashed home a staggering 30 goals to win the European Golden shoe. A feat not repeated by an English player since.

Here's every one of Kevin Phillips' thirty goals for Sunderland during the 1999-2000 season.

A season in which Phillips won the European Golden Boot. Not bad. #SAFCpic.twitter.com/ecZ8bDkGNO

— The Premiership Years (@PremiershipYrs) May 8, 2025

However, the most impressive of all has to be Frank Clark’s Nottingham Forest side of the 1994-95 season. Clark, who had taken over from legendary manager Brian Clough following his resignation as Forest were relegated in 1992, guided Forest straight back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

But the most impressive action was yet to come, as Clark’s side adapted to the step up and then some, finishing third in the Premier League with 77 points, which would later be enough for UEFA Champions League qualification but at the time was only good enough for the UEFA Cup.

Led by the goals of striker Stan Collymore, who’s 22 top flight goals added to his impressive form in the First Division the previous season, Forest incredibly started the season eleven games unbeaten, winning eight before finally being defeated for the first time in late October at home vs Blackburn Rovers.

With history in mind, it would take something magical from Le Bris to make Sunderland the best promoted side the Premier League has seen. However, their last encounter saw they are a team capable of going up against the very best, becoming the first team in ten games to both score and take points of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal as they fought back to draw 2-2 in the 94th minute.

🥹 ‘I'll fight 'til the end…’ pic.twitter.com/679GgWgXAl

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) November 9, 2025

And with a strong blend of experience, leadership, and natural talent throughout the squad combined with a tactical mind like Le Bris and with one of the loudest supporters on their side at the Stadium Of Light, there’s no doubt that life is good on Wearside. But the question of just how far can they go remains as the halfway point of the season looms.