Will SAFC reach their promotion target?
A timely win over Walsall put automatic promotion back in Sunderland’s hands.
They look finely poised for the run-in and are just shy of their manager’s two pointsper-game target.
So how does their 37-game tally compare with the last 20 automatic promotion winners from League One, and how many points does history suggest they’ll need from the run-in?
2017/18 WIGAN ATHLETIC
Paul Cook’s side were on 80 points with nine games to go.
Their impressive form slowed up slightly but powered by Max Power and Will Grigg, they edged out Blackburn Rovers and won the title with 96 points.
BLACKBURN ROVERS
A summer of significant transition saw Tony Mowbray’s side make a relatively slow start but by now they were beginning to motor, with 76 points on the board.
They finished second with 96.
2016/17 SHEFFIELD UNITED
Chris Wilder’s side are going for their second promotion in three seasons and they made light work of League One in his campaign, winning the league 14 points with a total of 100.
At this point, though, they were just ahead of Sunderland on 75.
BOLTON WANDERERS
Never coming close to toppling the Blades, Bolton finished second with 86 points.
After 37 games they had 69 on the board.
2015/16 WIGAN ATHLETIC
Will Grigg was top scorer under Gary Caldwell but Wigan had to finish strongly to finish top with 87 points, with 68 on the board at this stage of the campaign.
BURTON ALBION
Burton fell away considerably with just 11 points from their last nine. But it will still enough to go up, Nigel Clough’s team finishing second with 85.
2014/15 BRISTOL CITY
The league leaders already had a 14 point advantage at this stage of the campaign.
They went on to fall just a point short of a century, winning the league by eight points.
MK DONS
Current Oxford United boss Karl Robinson oversaw an excellent end to the season, MK Dons finishing on 91 despite having just 66 with nine games to go. Will Grigg’s 21 goals were vital.
2013/14 WOLVES
Current Pompey boss Kenny Jackett oversaw the start if Wolves’ revival and they dominated this campaign.
They had 80 points with nine to go and finished on 103.
BRENTFORD
Having finished third the season before, Brentford got over the line with 94 points.
They had 79 at this stage, finishing slowly.
2012/13 DONCASTER ROVERS
Statistically the worst team to win the league in the last decade, Doncaster Rovers had 68 points at this stage, finishing up with 84.
BOURNEMOUTH
Lewis Grabban scored 14 goals overall as Eddie Howe’s side won eight of their last nine, jumping to second, from 58 points to 83.
2011/12 CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Club legend Chris Powell oversaw a stellar campaign. Charlton finished on 101 points having taken 79 from their first 37 league games.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
The Owls finished superbly to pip their city rivals to second.
They took 23 points from their last nine, jumping from 70 points to 93.
2010/11 BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION
Gus Poyet’s side won plaudits for their style of play and had 80 points with nine to go.
They had to see off a late surge from Southampton to finish 1st with 95.
SOUTHAMPTON
Saints lifted the Checkatrade Trophy and took that momentum into the rest of the campaign, winning nine of the last ten to jump from 68 points after 37 games to 92.
2009/10 NORWICH CITY
Paul Lambert’s Norwich only look 16 points from their last 9 games but won the league comfortably, finishing with 95 points.
They were promoted again the following campaign.
LEEDS UNITED
Former Black Cats boss Simon Grayson oversaw his boyhood club’s return to the second tier. They finished second with 86 points, having taken 71 at this stage.
2008/09 LEICESTER CITY
Leicester started their remarkable rise to the top under Nigel Pearson by winning League One, taking 18 points from their last nine to finish on 96 points.
PETERBOROUGH UNITED
Current boss Darren Ferguson sealed promotion by finishing second in his first of three stints in charge.
They look 20 points from their last nine to jump from 69 to 89.
WHERE SUNDERLAND STAND
Luton will feel in very good order knowing that only once in the last ten years had the side with the most points after 37 games not gone on to win the league.
But Sunderland will feel as if they are right in the mix. They are on course to land 91, enough to finish second in six of the last 10 seasons.
If they can land seven wins, then history suggests they can pip anyone to the post.