Sunderland

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

All three newly promoted sides now know who they will face in the opening round of fixtures for the upcoming season.

Two of those three have landed home games, with Sunderland hosting West Ham United and Leeds United taking on Everton.

Burnley begin on the road with a trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Matchday one has often been a reality check for clubs finding their feet in the top flight. Throughout the entirety of the Premier League era, promoted teams have collectively won just 17 times from 92 matches (excluding three occasions on which they have faced each other) – a success rate of only 18.5%.

They have also conceded nearly twice as many goals as they have scored.

Which of Sunderland, Leeds or Burnley are most likely to buck that trend in 2025-26?

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Following the release of the 2025-26 Premier League fixtures, we asked you to have your say on how the schedule has fallen and where Sunderland's might be after 10 games.

Here are some of your comments:

Stu: On paper, a kind start to the season for the lads. Could have been much harder - that said, there are no easy games at this level. Would sense that Regis le Bris and the players will feel they can pick up a few early points in August and September to give them a strong foundation. Early points are key and will increase confidence going forward if they can get two or three wins under their belt before the difficult fixtures in the autumn come along.

Paul: At first glance, I'm happy with our opening fixtures and hope to get mid-table by the end of September. Was expecting an Ipswich 2024-25-like start but it is a lot kinder than that.

Alex: Pretty pleased with the fixtures. From the first six I think there's a good few that are realistically winnable. December will be brutal, but in a way it's not bad to get a run of hard games out of the way in a short period.

Freddie: Anything other than in the relegation zone for any of the promoted teams is a massive achievement. And if we are, I shouldn't think any Sunderland fan will be too bothered or surprised. And if anyone knows about daring regelation escapes and survival stories, it's Sunderland.

Hugh: Mid-table with 12 points.

Opta has ranked the difficulty of each top-flight team's first five Premier League fixtures of the 2025-26 season.

According to Opta's model, Manchester United have the hardest start, followed by their opening-weekend opponents Arsenal and then Bournemouth.

Aston Villa's first five games have been ranked the easiest, alongside Crystal Palace.

Take a look below to see where your side places...

Andrew Bassett
BBC Sport data analyst

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We have seen a lot of traffic to our fixtures pages already today.

So far, Leeds United are the fourth most visited club fixtures page on BBC Sport.

Only Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal are ahead of the Whites.

Newly promoted Sunderland also catch the eye inside the top 10 - and in case you were wondering, they are behind Newcastle United.

Aside from the opening weekend's game against West Ham and the final fixture of the season against Chelsea, all dates are subject to change as a result of broadcast and other requirements.

See Sunderland's full fixture list here

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The first Wear-Tyne derby on Sunderland's Premier League return will be at the Stadium of Light on Monday 12 December.

Regis le Bris' side will then travel to Newcastle over the weekend of 21-22 March.

The Black Cats squad will also have their eyes on 3 December and 11 February - the two midweek dates they are currently due to face defending champions Liverpool - with a midweek trip to Anfield up first.

And what about the schedule over Christmas and New Year? Well, Sunderland travel to Brighton, before hosting Leeds and Manchester City to finish the year. They then visit Tottenham for their first game of 2026.

Finally, they will close their campaign at home against Chelsea on Sunday, 24 May 2026 - when all 10 matches will kick off at 16:00 BST.

Looking at the fixture list, where do you think Le Bris' side will be after 10 games? Have your say here

Sunderland will host West Ham in their opening game of the 2025-26 Premier League season on their return to the top flight.

The match will take place at 15:00 BST on Saturday, 16 August, with the Black Cats' first away fixture at fellow promoted side Burnley on the weekend of 23-24 August.

See Sunderland's Premier League fixtures in full here

Where do you think Regis le Bris' side will be after 10 games and what do you make of how the fixtures have fallen? Tell us here

Want to keep up to date with what is happening at Sunderland on BBC Sport?

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And if signed in on a browser, hit 'Follow' and you will start seeing more content about the Black Cats on your BBC Sport homepage under the My Sport area.

• Not a Sunderland fan? Find and follow your team here

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As the transfer window is open again until 1 September, we asked you to tell us one player you want Sunderland to sign, and a player you want to be sold this summer.

Here are some of your comments:

James: He seems like a nice kid but I didn't feel Hjelde was good enough for the Championship, let alone the Premier League. We need another skilful midfielder alongside Dan Neil who can defend, attack and get a few goals. It would be great to replace Jobe and compete with Chrissy Rigg.

Roy: The one out would be Pierre Ekwah. Clearly not in Le Bris' Championship plans so probably has no future post-promotion. Still worthy of a decent sale price. One in would be Lennon Miller. He played really well for Scotland recently, off the back of a good season at Motherwell. Fits the age profile and I would think the data, too.

Liam: We need to sign Jordan Henderson back at all costs. He's a solid centre mid. He knows the city and the Premier League well, and the experience he could offer our players is second to none. There's no-one I would say I would 'get rid of' but I think we could afford to lose Ekwah.

Gary: I'd sell Neil as he is too inconsistent. He gets caught in possession and gives the ball away too much. I would buy Amad Diallo. Best loan signing ever and he would help our team immensely. He also loves Sunderland and would come if given the option.

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Former Sunderland defender Darren Williams sits down with BBC Radio Newcastle's Simon Pryde to relive their top five moments at the Stadium of Light.

From unforgettable goals to electric atmospheres, this is a must-listen for Black Cats supporters. Whether you were there in the stands or watching from home, this will take you right back. Don't miss it!

Listen now on BBC Sounds

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No sooner does the season finish and we start looking forward to key dates for the next campaign - and that will be a lot easier to do on Wednesday when the Premier League fixtures are released.

That's right, that special day in the calendar is almost here already. The day when you'll learn details of derby fixtures, Christmas opponents and end-of-season run-ins.

This page will bring you all the fixtures when they drop at 09:00 BST on Wednesday and we'll be giving you the chance to have your say on how things look.

The new campaign kicks off on the weekend of Saturday, 16 August and it will conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all 10 games will take place at the same time.

The transfer window is open again for summer business to be conducted.

Clubs can now strike deals until the deadline at 19:00 BST on 1 September.

So if you can sell one player, who is it? And if you can buy one player only, who gets the nod?

Give us reasons for your choice but remember, in this instance it's a strict one player leaving and one coming in.

Send your selections here

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Sunderland legend Marco Gabbiadini chose Eric Gates, Sebastian Larsson, Stephane Sessegnon, Michael Bridges and Billy Hughes as the most skilful players to have played for the club.

Here are some names that you thought were missing from the list:

Jeff: I pretty much agree, but for me I would have had Niall Quinn first!

Thomas: Stan Cummings, Ally McCoist, Micky Gray, Brian Clough.

Alastair: These are modern era players. What about the greats of yesteryear? Stan Anderson to name one.

Phil: Steed Malbranque.

Richard: Charlie Hurley, Len Shackleton, Kevin Phillips, Bobby Gurney and Asamoah Gyan would all feature on a list of all-time Sunderland greats.

Eddie: Frank Worthington was a genius with a football. Must be top.

Listen to Gabbiadini detail his selections

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Former Sunderland manager Peter Reid - who twice won the Black Cats promotion into the Premier League - has been looking back on taking charge of the club 30 years ago.

The ex-Everton and Manchester City player took the reigns in March 1995 with Sunderland battling relegation in the second tier, but with seven games of the season remaining, Reid oversaw just the one loss and managed to keep them up.

Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle in a special episode, Reid recalled: "They were great games, the Sheffield United one was a very important one and I always thank Craig [Russell] for coming on as a sub and getting the winner," Reid said.

"To be fair, the crowd played their part and obviously the players, the players were magnificent. I think we went to Derby and beat them as well which was a fantastic result.

"After the Sheffield United game, I remember going to the chairman and saying 'listen I need to get something for the players so give me £500 to take them out' and the bill came to about £1200 so I had to find £700 from somewhere.

"So I was fining the lads for mis-passing the ball in training and everything and once I got the £700 I told them 'it's over now lads' and I told them the story and they took it all in the spirit that it was meant."

Nottingham Forest are rivalling Leeds and Sunderland for 31-year-old Mozambique left-back Reinildo Mandava, who is out of contract with Atletico Madrid this summer. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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Former Sunderland player Darren Williams has admitted he was hopeful that Jobe Bellingham would stay at the club after the play-off final.

Bellingham has joined Borussia Dortmund for an initial fee of £27m, and will be involved in the Club World Cup squad for his new side.

Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, Williams said that while he wishes Bellingham all the best in Germany, it would have been good to see him play in the Premier League.

He said: "We brought him in at a low cost and two years later we're making a good amount on him - [but] I'd have love to see him play for us in the Premier League and test himself.

"I've got no qualms - he's been brilliant. He's achieved something with Sunderland. I was hopeful after the final that he would stay, and then the news came about interest from Germany.

"I wish him all the best. It's fantastic money. The club has made good money from the last four players sold."

Listen to the full clip on BBC Sounds here

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Throughout Wednesday, we have been revealing who Sunderland legend Marco Gabbiadini believes are the club's most skilful players ever.

And finally we have reached top spot.

He awards first place to Eric Gates, with whom he forged a formidable strike partnership dubbed the G-force during their time together in the 1980s.

While his time with the club did include a relegation, Gates is still considered one of the cleverest forwards of his time.

"I can remember watching Eric when I wasa kid at a caravan on a black-and-white TV," Gabbiadini told BBC Radio Newcastle. "I was watching him play European football matches [for Ipswich], and then I got to play with him a few years later.

"In an era when pitches weren't great, he wasn't a silky winger, but he had a really clever, deft touch in the way that he played.

"Every time he got the ball, he was always looking to play through people and around people. Defenders didn't know whether he was going to keep it or lay it off, which was also a great skill. He would flick it with his first touch around the corner."

So, there it is, the top five most skilful players in Sunderland's history, according to Gabbiadini.

1. Eric Gates

2. Sebastian Larsson

3. Stephane Sessegnon

4. Michael Bridges

5. Billy Hughes

How would you rank these five? Have a go over here

And who did Gabbiadini miss out? Tell us here

Listen back on BBC Sounds

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Throughout Wednesday, we have been revealing who Sunderland legend Marco Gabbiadini believes to be the club's most skilful players ever.

Just missing out on top spot is Sweden midfielder Sebastian Larsson.

Larsson played in the Stadium of Light for six years and earned the reputation of being dependable whilst being lethal from set-pieces. His work ethic, delivery, tactical and positional intelligence were considered amongst the best in the league during his time.

Speaking on BBC Radio, Gabbiadini expanded more on this and praised him as a player who could change the game in an instant.

"Seb Larsson was a quality player and he had that ability to have a magic moment and just see a really good pass. He scored a number of free-kicks as well. When he connected correctly, they were lovely goals.

"I think he was a player that the fans liked, and when he got the ball, he always used it in a clever way. He could see a pass and open up a game. He's one who's up there."

Worked out who the winner is yet? Come back later on Wednesday to find out.

Or listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

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Throughout Wednesday, we are revealing who Sunderland legend Marco Gabbiadini believes are the club's most skilful players ever.

Up next in third place is Stephane Sessegnon.

Sessegnon made almost 100 appearances for the Black Cats during his two-and-a-half-year stint at the club after signing from Paris St-Germain in 2011. During that time, he played under three different managers and scored 18 goals.

His spell at Sunderland came to an end following a dispute with then-manager Paulo Di Canio.

Gabbiadini told BBC Radio Newcastle that Sessegnon was inconsistent but had the ability to get the supporters on the edge of their seats.

"He was an enigma - some days he could be quiet," Gabbiadini recalled. "I was a little bit down on him as consistency-wise and team-player-wise, I think he lacked a little bit. But he had the ability to have those moments where you went: 'Wow, how does he do that?'

"He did have a good record at Sunderland and at other clubs as well. He had some great moments when he was at the club. "

Listen on BBC Sounds - and return later for the top two!

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Some 30 years have passed since Peter Reid took charge of Sunderland to usher in a booming time in the club's history.

The team at BBC Radio Newcastle's Total Sport have had the man himself on the show and you can listen to the special episode here.

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Throughout Wednesday, we are revealing who Sunderland legend Marco Gabbiadini believes are the club's most skilful players ever.

Earlier, striker Billy Hughes was nominated in fifth and the Gabbiadini selects another forward in fourth, awarding it to Michael Bridges, who came through the ranks at the Stadium of the Light.

During his time at Sunderland, fans coined the phrase: "Michael Bridges, cool as fridges."

Speaking on BBC Radio Newcastle, Gabbiadini said Bridges' greatest quality was to do the unexpected.

"Michael Bridges again was different," said Gabbiadini. "He scored goals differently - he would get into positions where the defenders and the goalkeepers were comfortable and he would flick it with his left foot. Always that kind of thing.

"I know he wasn't with the club for the huge chunk of his career, but I think he was a player the fans still remember very well.

"[This list] has got to be someone who was a little bit different and edgy. Bridges was a player who was respected."

Listen on BBC Sounds - return to this page later on Wednesday for the top three