Sunderland's new predicted final Premier League finish after disappointing Fulham defeat

Saturday proved to be a rare low in a season full of highs for Sunderland as they suffered a narrow loss at Premier League rivals Fulham.

The Black Cats have enjoyed a quite remarkable return to the top flight and were sitting firmly in the top four of the table ahead of their trip to Craven Cottage. However, the quality and intensity that have been the hallmarks of their performances during the opening three months of the season were absent in West London as Regis Le Bris’ side fell to only their third defeat in 12 games.

The game appeared to be heading towards a stalemate before the decisive moment arrived as Mexico international Raul Jimenez grabbed the only goal of the game with just six minutes left on the clock. The Black Cats were unable to find an equaliser during the closing stages and will now focus their attention on their attempts to bounce back to winning ways when they welcome AFC Bournemouth to the Stadium of Light next Saturday afternoon.

Despite the defeat against the Cottagers, there are still high hopes Sunderland can enjoy a successful first season back in the Premier League - but where are they predicted to finish in the table following Saturday’s loss? We take a look at the latest predicted final Premier League table with the help of the football stats experts at Opta.

Where are Sunderland predicted to finish in the Premier League this season

1. Arsenal - 80 points 2. Manchester City - 71 points 3. Chelsea - 65 points 4. Liverpool - 64 points 5. Crystal Palace - 61 points 6. Aston Villa - 61 points 7. Brighton and Hove Albion - 58 points 8. Manchester United - 56 points 9. Newcastle United - 56 points 10. Bournemouth - 55 points 11. Tottenham Hotspur - 55 points 12. Brentford - 53 points 13. Everton - 48 points 14. Fulham - 45 points 15. Sunderland - 45 points 16. Nottingham Forest - 43 points 17. West Ham United - 39 points 18. Leeds United - 36 points 19. Burnley - 34 points 20. Wolverhampton Wanderers - 25 points

What has Regis Le Bris said after Sunderland’s defeat at Fulham?

The Black Cats boss said: "First of all we faced a good team, as expected because they were really good a few weeks ago against Arsenal for example so it was really clear that they have this offensive threat, this ability to create chances, to be dominant with the ball and I think we managed just OK this part during the first half, we are not proactive enough to change, shift the momentum but we tried during the half time to change this part, we had our opportunity I think just during the first part of the second half I think we felt that it was possible to change something but it wasn't enough."

Your next Sunderland read: 'Together' – Granit Xhaka sends honest message to Sunderland fans after disappointing Fulham defeat