While that represented an opportunity missed for the Black Cats, their general form has been very good and they had into the international break sitting fourth in the table.
There may only be four points separating them from the bottom half of the table, but they have shown enough to suggest they have what it takes to replicate last season’s memorable sixth-placed finish.
So with the campaign almost a quarter of the way through, how are Tony Mowbray’s squad faring? We assessed each player’s progress so far and took a closer look at how the squad might develop over the coming months, as injuries hopefully clear and new arrivals settle.
Only senior players to make a competitive appearance this season have been rated.
So with the campaign almost a quarter of the way through, how are Tony Mowbray’s squad faring? We assessed each player’s progress so far and took a closer look at how the squad might develop over the coming months, as injuries hopefully clear and new arrivals settle.