The best Championship play-off position to secure promotion from revealed amid Sunderland, Luton Town, Middlesbrough and Coventry City battle

Sunderland moved into the Championship top six on Monday, overtaking Millwall to secure sixth place and the chance to make it back-to-back promotions.

A 3-0 win at Preston North End combined with a dramatic 4-3 loss for Millwall against Blackburn Rovers saw Tony Mowbray’s side book their play-off place on a dramatic final day.

The Black Cats moved into the second tier via the League One play-offs last term, beating Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-finals before victory over Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley.

This season, they will have to overcome Luton Town and then one of Middlesbrough or Coventry City to return to the Premier League for the first time since their relegation in May 2017.

As Sunderland gear up for the play-offs, we looked at how a club’s finishing position may impact their chances of promotion.

What the stats say

Since the current play-off format was introduced in the 1995-96 season after the Premier League was reduced from 22 teams to 20, 27 sides have been promoted via the Championship play-offs.

Here’s how that breaks down for the sides who were promoted from each position:

• 3rd place: 10 sides promoted

• 4th place: 5 sides promoted

• 5th place: 8 sides promoted

• 6th place: 4 sides promoted

Out of the 27 sides to have gone up, 18 of those have been from third and fifth, with the team finishing third promoted more times than any other position.

Not since Blackpool in 2010 has a side finished sixth and been promoted to the Premier League.

It is a feat Sunderland will need to repeat in order to make their return to the English top flight. West Ham achieved promotion from sixth in 2005 while Crystal Palace had completed the feat the previous season and were the first club to go up from sixth when they were promoted in 1997.

First up as Sunderland look to become the fifth side to be promoted from sixth is their home leg with Luton Town on Saturday evening before a trip down south on Tuesday. The final is on Saturday, May 27.