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Wolverhampton Wanderers remain winless following defeat against Sunderland
The contrasting emotions at the Stadium of Light at the final whistle were stark.
Sunderland, having secured their fourth victory in eight matches upon their return to the Premier League, have ascended to seventh place in the table.
In contrast, Wolves remain at the foot of the standings, still searching for their first win of the campaign.
Regis le Bris’ side are experiencing their joint-best start to a Premier League season, while Wolves are enduring their second-worst.
What factors underpin this disparity in outcomes?
Given the turbulence the club has experienced over the past decade, Sunderland supporters could be forgiven for approaching their Premier League return with apprehension.
Their journey back to the top flight has been arduous, with the Black Cats suffering consecutive relegations and spending four seasons in League One.
Even last season’s promotion was a dramatic affair.
Having finished 16th the previous season, Sunderland defied expectations to defeat Sheffield United in the play-off final, courtesy of a late, dramatic winner at Wembley.
However, Sunderland’s resurgence is attributable to more than mere good fortune.
There were concerns that the Black Cats, having made 14 first-team signings this summer, might lose the unity that underpinned their promotion.
Yet, the Black Cats have maintained their momentum impressively thus far this season.
With 14 points from eight matches, Sunderland have equaled their best-ever start to a Premier League campaign.
However, manager Le Bris is adopting a cautious approach.
“For me it’s just a question of the next game,” he told BBC Sport.
“It’s a long journey and a tough journey. If we can win points early, it’s good for the confidence.”
The Black Cats’ strong start has been fueled by their home form, with 10 of their 14 points secured at the Stadium of Light – a tally matched only by league leaders Arsenal.
Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of Sunderland’s form is that they have bucked the trend of recently promoted teams.
Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich – all relegated last season after being promoted the season prior – managed a combined total of just 14 points after eight matches last season. Sunderland have already matched that total independently.
Indeed, Sunderland’s points haul represents the best return from a promoted side since Wolves in the 2018-19 campaign.
If 40 points is considered the benchmark for Premier League survival, then Sunderland are already making significant strides towards securing their place in the division.
Sunderland maintain fine home form as Wolves lose again
Wolves may have one more point than they did at this stage last season, but there were few positives to take from Saturday’s trip to the North East.
Despite the season being only eight games old, they are already five points from safety, in danger of being cut adrift, and possess the worst goal difference in the division.
They have also failed to score in four of their eight games thus far, and this marks the 14th occasion a team has recorded two or fewer points at this stage, with eight of the previous 13 ultimately being relegated.
Indeed, Wolves are the only club to have avoided relegation from that position in the last five campaigns.
While Vitor Pereira praised his players’ performance after a lackluster opening 45 minutes, they still fell short against opponents who were competing in League One just three years ago.
“When I look back at the first half, I don’t remember good moments,” said Pereira.
“In the second half we corrected our moments and in my opinion we played 30 minutes of high-quality football and created three or four chances to score.
“In the Premier League you cannot lose these moments. But in the end we concede. In the last 15 minutes with two strikers we stopped playing, we started playing the long ball and this is not our game.”
While Pereira signed a new contract exactly a month ago following four consecutive Premier League defeats, the wisdom of that decision may well come under scrutiny given their plight has barely improved.
The other significant issue is that Jorgen Strand Larsen is yet to score a top-flight goal this term.
The Norway international has averaged a goal every 3.5 games throughout his career.
It was presumed that he was considered crucial to the club avoiding relegation this term when they rejected offers of £50m and £55m for him from Newcastle in the summer.
He is yet to find his form, although the blame can hardly be placed solely on his shoulders for Wolves’ toothless attacking displays.
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