Fear, anger or excitement - how are Sunderland fans feeling?published at 17:09 BST
17:09 BST
The Premier League's return this weekend brings trepidation for some and excitement for others.
Football's emotional rollercoaster becomes intense at this time of year, unless of course mid-table mediocrity has taken a grip of things in recent months.
So how are you feeling as a Sunderland fan with just a handful of weeks left to go?
The league form reads: LLDWLW
The next three league fixtures are: Tottenham (h), Aston Villa (a) and Nottingham Forest (h)
Fifth Champions League spot secured for Premier Leaguepublished at 08:19 BST 8 April
08:19 BST 8 April
Dale Johnson Football issues correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
The Premier League will have at least five teams in the Champions League next season after securing a European Performance Spot for the second straight year.
The extra place was confirmed on Tuesday as Arsenal beat Sporting 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.
Uefa awards an additional place to the two leagues with the best overall performance across the three European competitions.
The race for fifth place in the Premier League, currently held by Liverpool on 49 points, is exceptionally tight.
Just seven points separate Arne Slot's side from 13th-placed Bournemouth.
Chelsea (48) sit in sixth followed by Brentford (46), Everton (46), Fulham (44), Brighton (43), Sunderland (43), Newcastle (42) and Bournemouth (42).
If Aston Villa, who are fourth on 54 points, win the Europa League and finish outside the top four, the Premier League would have six teams in the Champions League.
The same logic applies to Liverpool, who face Paris St-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.
If either win a European trophy and finish fifth, then sixth would qualify for the Champions League via the EPS place.
If both win European trophies and finish fifth and sixth, that would put seventh into the Champions League.
Nottingham Forest are in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. They could emulate Tottenham by winning the competition and finishing in the bottom half of the table.
Just like last season, that would create a sixth team in the Champions League for the Premier League too.
'We have to ensure we don't waste the opportunity to progress'published at 10:01 BST 7 April
10:01 BST 7 April
Gavin Henderson Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Not playing over the Easter break was a strange feeling, considering it is the first time (I think!) in my lifetime that Sunderland have ever had to sit it out.
If we had actually turned up at Port Vale in the last round, then we would possibly have been at Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea, but we did not, so we were not. Instead, our players and supporters enjoyed an extended break. The players could get themselves back in the Academy of Light as we build up to the visit of Spurs to the Stadium of Light.
While I could not help but look on with envy as Southampton and Leeds reached the semi-finals, it did allow me some time to reflect on the journey this club has been on.
In particular, I was looking at goings-on in the Championship over the weekend and I was incredibly thankful that we are no longer a part of that whole circus anymore.
Middlesbrough fans must be tearing their hair out - they had automatic promotion right in the palm of their hand, and it looks like they are going to blow it. It is more likely that Ipswich or Millwall will take their place, and I never really fancy the chances of the team who drop away from the top two when it comes to the play-offs. You need momentum, and they certainly do not have it.
It is a reminder of just how brutal it is trying to claw your way out of the EFL. Sunderland's promotion story was a complete fairytale, and I completely understand that the path we took is not a particularly well-trodden one - there were many sliding-door moments during last season where things could have easily gone in a different direction, and I am so incredibly thankful that we somehow got the job done.
We have had a brilliant season in the Premier League and we have to ensure that we do not waste the opportunity to progress. I never want to see us back in the EFL ever again, because with each passing year it gets harder and harder to escape it, and the test now for Sunderland's hierarchy is to ensure that we keep on improving to the point where our foundations are solid, and we can withstand just about anything.
As much as I enjoyed last season's journey, I hope we never have to go through that much stress and drama ever again!
'Put your ego aside and use mistakes as learnings' - O'Nienpublished at 09:34 BST 2 April
09:34 BST 2 April
Media caption,
Sunderland defender Luke O'Nien sat down with BBC Radio Newcastle to look back over his eight years with the club.
Reflecting on the highs and lows of his time, he discussed how he has grown from his debut to now.
He explained: "The thing I'm most proud of is, I've made many mistakes between my debut and now and there was the one on derby day. But if you look at the reaction and the work I have done since then, I didn't just manage to help steer the ship that game but we limited them to very few chances at all.
"Those are examples of how I was as a human being then, then fast forward seven or eight years and I have had to dig deep on one of the toughest days, in one of the toughest environments, to turn it around when really needed.
"As human beings we make mistakes and it is important we face them head on, put your ego aside and use them as learnings to keep moving forward."
Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds here or by pressing play on the clip above
'Be Sunderland' - Ghisolfi's simple demandpublished at 17:41 BST 1 April
17:41 BST 1 April
Media caption,
Director of Football Florent Ghisolfi has revealed a simple instruction for staff and players during a return season to the Premier League - "be Sunderland".
The 41-year-old left a role as sporting director at AS Roma last summer before he joined the Black Cats in July as they prepared for their Premier League return.
Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle about why he came to Sunderland, Ghisolfi said: "The potential of the club. I'm a builder, I like to build.
"It's not only build, here it was to reinforce - the identity, the foundations - continue to build and I like that.
"The potential of the club [I liked] because of the facilities, the fan base, the atmosphere, the identity and the culture. I was very optimistic in the capacity we had to stay in the league and for the retention was not an easy challenge."
As part of the preparations for their return to the top flight, Ghisolfi oversaw an overhaul of the squad in a summer transfer window that had 15 new arrivals at the Stadium of Light.
It has proved successful so far with Regis le Bris' side sitting 11th in the table and comfortably away from relegation, having been one of the favourites to go down at the beginning of the campaign.
Asked about the goals of the club, he said: "I don't like to speak about ambition. I'm always asking to everyone in the club let's be focused on who we are. To be the best version of ourselves, the best version of Sunderland and this is the most important.
"The first words to the team and to the staff was 'no objective'. We didn't ask for retention [in the league], top 10. No objective, just be the best version of Sunderland.
"It means every day what we are, who we are, how we are working all together. This is the big focus we have - be Sunderland.
"We don't care about the result. Be Sunderland, and after that, we'll be proud."
Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds here or by clicking play on the clip above
'You can't succeed alone - it is impossible'published at 15:25 BST 1 April
15:25 BST 1 April
Media caption,
Sunderland boss Regis le Bris says he is "really proud" of the work of everyone at the club and the success they have achieved while he has been in charge.
The 50-year-old has been at the helm since the summer of 2024 and has taken charge of 86 matches, winning 36, drawing 24 and losing 26, which gives him an overall win percentage of 42%.
In less than two years, Le Bris has taken Sunderland from the Championship to the Premier League, keeping them away from relegation threat this season and guiding them to a memorable league double over Wear-Tyne derby rivals Newcastle.
"This job is never finished," he told BBC Radio Newcastle.
"You always have something to do, to improve, so you can spend 24 hours per day and it's not done.
"I'm proud about not only the results, it's the way we work together. I think it's a massive collective work, and as a manager I'm really proud of that because you can't succeed alone. It is impossible.
"Here in Sunderland, we have a really good team. I speak about the players, of course, but also about people around the team in the building. So it's a big achievement so far. We want to get better, but it's not too bad."
With Le Bris the 21st permanent manager since Peter Reid 31 years ago - with 11 caretaker managers also during that time - the Frenchman was asked about the pressure of this managerial position at Sunderland.
"Probably the job is a bit unpredictable because you can't control everything," he said.
"When you are lucky you find the right environment for your own style, to find the right place, and when it's done you have to work hard. Sometimes it's not aligned and you can work hard but it won't work, but in this situation it worked well."
Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds and by clicking play on the clip above
'It feels crucial we don't waste opportunity to kick on'published at 12:28 BST 31 March
12:28 BST 31 March
Gavin Henderson Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
It has been one week since Sunderland beat Newcastle and what a week it has been.
I am not really sure when the buzz will end, but I am still not bored with watching all the content surrounding the game - it is all still absolutely brilliant.
That length of time that both clubs have had to wait for the next game will be crucial, I imagine, to where our respective seasons go from here. The fortunes of Sunderland and Newcastle are unavoidably linked. We are both basically in the same position in the table and have ambitions to finish in the top eight.
Hopefully, the knock of confidence that Newcastle will have undoubtedly suffered will lead to their league form spiralling, as that can only be a good thing for us, while I would like to think that winning such a massive game will galvanise our squad.
We need to get the Stadium of Light back to being the fortress that it was earlier in the campaign, as that will be key to where we go from here. That means the fans must do their part and back the team until the end.
The good feeling that is coursing through our veins right now needs to be harnessed. This is the type of result that should really breathe new life into our season and, with a raft of important players returning to the squad after the international break, it feels crucial that we don't waste the opportunity to kick on.
There is a top-10 finish and potential European football firmly within our grasp and, together with these players, we cannot waste the opportunity to make even more history. We know we are good enough, but it is about having belief and growing our momentum to get us over the finish line.
It's time to knuckle down and do something special.
The former Linfield and Ballymena defender has risen from League One to the Premier League with the Black Cats.
The 24-year-old will call upon his experience with pressure whilst preparing for Northern Ireland's 2026 Fifa World Cup play-off semi-final with Italy in Bergamo tonight.
"It was definitely different," Hume said.
"The emotion going into the game and the pressure and what it meant. Playing in that game and getting promoted to the Premier League is life-changing, for your career, financially for your family, it changes everything.
"I think going through that experience, it was nervous and exciting, but you learn from that and you gain that experience and all the games after that come that little bit easier."
'Rigg has already got it all there' - Gabbiadinipublished at 17:57 GMT 25 March
17:57 GMT 25 March
Image source, Getty Images
Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini says 18-year-old midfielder Chris Rigg has shown he has a "special football brain" since making the step up to Premier League football this season.
Gabbiadini praised the Black Cats academy graduate on BBC Radio Newcastle: "His touch and his composure is great. He is very aggressive for a lad who isn't of huge physical build. He isn't afraid and he doesn't take a backwards step ever.
"The thing that makes him special is his football brain: he sees passes, he sees space, he knows when to close down and when to drop off.
"You're still learning from those around you and trying to get as much help as you can from your team-mates at his age, but he has already got it all there really.
"He still has a little bit more growing and maturing to do as an athlete, which will only make him an even better player. He is going to be some prospect."
Le Bris 'at his brilliant best' to mastermind derby winpublished at 08:20 GMT 25 March
08:20 GMT 25 March
Gavin Henderson Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Leading up to Sunday's derby at Newcastle, all the talk centred around which of our injured players might be available and it ended up becoming a bit of a distraction from what was actually important - the players who were definitely fit to play their part.
While I'm sure Regis le Bris would have loved a fully fit squad, he is not daft enough to get too distracted by the possibilities of having several of his walking wounded involved at the last minute.
Instead, he had to work on a gameplan that did not involve any of them so, in most cases, the lads who did pass late fitness tests were only ever destined for a spot on the bench.
That was absolutely crucial. It meant that while Newcastle were distracted by European football, we were on the training ground figuring out how we were going to walk away from St James' Park with three points.
What we saw was, yet again, Le Bris at his brilliant best. He got it spot on once more. His counterpart in the opposition dugout had no answers to what Sunderland had to offer and the longer the game went on, there was only one team capable of winning it.
Sunderland's players were outstanding. They all played their part.
Despite the massive early setback he and we suffered, Luke O'Nien was absolutely fantastic. The fact he got on with his job when others probably would have wilted spoke volumes of the type of man he is.
Granit Xhaka was back to his best and ran the midfield, ably flanked by Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra.
Wingers Chemsdine Talbi and Chris Rigg did not put a foot wrong. Talbi was a goal threat throughout, while Rigg kept Lewis Hall quiet, which many others have been unable to do this season.
Up front, Brian Brobbey was absolutely outstanding and fully deserved his moment at the end. He ragdolled the Newcastle defence throughout and then when we needed him to be sharp, his movement in the box was fantastic and he scored the winner.
This win was all about these players and this coach. They have given us so many unbelievable memories over the past 12 months. This is the best time I have known to be a Sunderland supporter and the best part is that the journey is not over yet.
After the international break, we have got a run of games that could mean we are talking about a top-half finish if we can raise our levels again. Wouldn't that just be sweet?
Derby win over Newcastle 'means the world to me' - Riggpublished at 10:31 GMT 24 March
10:31 GMT 24 March
Image source, Getty Images
Sunderland youngster Chris Rigg says helping his boyhood club secure a Premier League double after arch-rivals Newcastle "means the world" to him.
The 18-year-old helped the Black Cats come back from a goal down to win 2-1 at St James' Park on Sunday, having been an unused substitute for the 1-0 home victory against the Magpies in December.
"I was thinking about it all week, all the different scenarios in my head, as you would because I'm human," he said post-match.
"That was the best one. It means the world to me. I got a bit emotional after the game and I got a bit emotional before the game.
"I wasn't in tears, I just got a bit emotional in the changing room."
Rigg progressed through Sunderland's academy to make his senior debut as a 15-year-old in January 2023 and, like experienced defender Luke O'Nien, has been with the club on the journey from League One to the Premier League.
"Me and Luke had a bit of a moment because we've played a lot of seasons here and obviously Luke's been here for how many years," Rigg added.
"He just gave me a hug and said: 'Wow'.
"Walking on to the pitch, it was still quite surreal, obviously. Being a local lad and walking out at St James' Park, it's still a big achievement for me personally and I think it is for most of the lads because those are the games you dream of playing when you're a kid.
"That's what Granit [Xhaka] said before the game, you dream to play in these games. Obviously when we went 1-0 down, I thought we kept our heads really well because it could have gone one, two, three.
'To win both derby games is massive'published at 07:00 GMT 24 March
07:00 GMT 24 March
Image source, PA Media
Former England captain Wayne Rooney, speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show about Sunderland completing a Premier League double over neighbours Newcastle United: "To win both derby games is massive. Newcastle fans pride themselves on those two games as well, so to lose both games will be hard for them.
"But for Sunderland to come up, win the two derbies and be in the position they are in the league, is an unbelievable season."
Is Regis Le Bris in contention for Premier League manager of the season? "He has to be, although I think if Arsenal win [the title] then you have to give it to Mikel Arteta."
How commentators reacted to Tyne-Wear derbypublished at 12:24 GMT 23 March
12:24 GMT 23 March
Media caption,
Have a look inside the BBC Radio Newcastle commentary box at full-time of Sunday's Tyne-Wear Derby from the perspective of the Sunderland and Newcastle commentary teams.
Time to start thinking about Europe again?published at 11:16 GMT 23 March
11:16 GMT 23 March
Image source, Getty Images
Former Sunderland defender Gary Bennett spoke to BBC Radio Newcastle after Sunday's victory agaist Newcastle: "For me, the two key players were [Brian] Brobbey and [Omar] Alderete, I thought they were outstanding. In terms of centre forward displays, and Brobbey deserved his goal.
"What a display, especially in that second half. Newcastle cannot complain; they were the better team in the first 45 minutes, but in the second half we grew in to the game. Credit to the manager, he's got it right again.
"Before the game, Newcastle fans were talking about trying to get in to Europe if they won this match. We win the game and go above them - where do we go from here?"
