Surprise package Sunderland face big test at resurgent Chelsea

LONDON :Sunderland have so far defied the odds after being tipped for an immediate return to the second-tier to become the Premier League's surprise package in the first two months of the season and will aim to continue the dream start at Chelsea on Saturday.

Frenchman Regis Le Bris's side have taken 14 points from their opening eight games to sit in seventh place, one point behind champions Liverpool and level with Enzo Maresca's fifth-placed Chelsea ahead of the Stamford Bridge clash.

When they were relegated in 2017 after finishing bottom with 24 points, Sunderland entered a downward spiral that saw them spend four seasons in the third-tier of English football before returning to the Championship via the playoffs in 2022.

When former Lorient manager Le Bris was hired before the start of last season many Sunderland fans might have thought 'Regis who?' but the 49-year-old's appointment proved a masterstroke as he took them back to the top flight thanks to a dramatic promotion playoff final win over Sheffield United.

Swiss-French chairman and majority shareholder Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, aged 27, has set out a 10-year plan for Sunderland to establish themselves as a top-flight force and their ambition was clear as they spent 162 million pounds ($217.42 million) on the squad in the close season, more than Manchester City.

So far, it looks like money well spent with the likes of former Arsenal player Granit Xhaka, fellow midfielder Enzo Le Fee and defender Omar Aldarete all impressing for the Black Cats whose points total after eight games has only been bettered by six promoted clubs in Premier League history.

"I didn't think one player could have such an impact on a team, but he (Xhaka) is an unbelievable motivator and he's lifted