Sunderland slump shifts defensive standing after Nottingham Forest rout | OneFootball

Sunderland’s sudden defensive dip has reshaped their standing against Premier League rivals, with 45 conceded now leaving only eight clubs tighter and placing them level with Manchester United and Chelsea.

The slide has been stark, nine shipped in two matches, a last-minute defeat at Aston Villa followed by a 5-0 home thrashing by Nottingham Forest after going 4-0 down inside 37 minutes. Sunderland Echo highlights that this came after a rock-solid return to the top flight.

Across their first 32 league games they had allowed just 36, the platform for an unexpected European push.

Clean-sheet numbers still hold up, with 10 shutouts bettered only by Everton on 11, Crystal Palace on 12, Manchester City on 14 and Arsenal on 15. Robin Roefs has nine of those, while back-up Melker Ellborg kept one on debut in a 1-0 win at Leeds United at the start of March.

Regis Le Bris now needs a quick reset for the final four fixtures, with Sunderland four points off sixth, which may yet yield Champions League football, and two off the top eight. Next up are bottom side Wolves, already relegated, who have conceded the Premier League’s second-highest total of 61.

Source: Sunderland Echo