Sunderland and West Brom share key trend that will be key to promotion: View | OneFootball

The two sides have been immaculate in their matches on the road so far this season

It may be early days, but the early signs are promising for both Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion in the 24/25 Championship campaign, with both sides unbeaten as we head into the international break.

Regis Le Bris has made life at the Stadium of Light look like a breeze so far, with the Frenchman winning all four of his games in charge of the Black Cats, conceding just a single goal in the process.

Carlos Corberan has once again brought the best out of his Baggies side as well, with three wins and a draw to their name so far, with their only dropped points coming in a stalemate with fellow promotion challengers Leeds United.

Sitting in first and second after four games won’t definite their season, but the early signs are promising for the current leading pair, with one key factor proving their early promotion credentials.

Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion share early 24/25 Championship trait

Both sides have emerged victorious from their first two away matches of the season, with history dictating that a strong showing on the road is pivotal to any potential promotion push.

The Mackems got their campaign underway with a terrific 2-0 victory over Cardiff City on the opening day, with Luke O’Nien and Jack Clarke grabbing the goals to get the season off to the perfect start.

Clarke may have since left for Ipswich Town, but Le Bris and his side have shown no signs of slowing down, with the Wearsiders’ youthful exuberance a joy to behold in the second tier.

No side has fielded a younger starting eleven than the Black Cats so far this season, with teenage talents like Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham coming to the fore, as well as the likes of Eliezer Mayenda and Romaine Mundle.

The latter grabbed his second of the season to add another win on the road at Fratton Park on Saturday with League One Champions Portsmouth seen off 3-1 by the early Championship leaders.

It has been a similar story for Albion on their travels of late, with a stunning Josh Maja hat-trick setting the tone on the opening day, as the Black Country outfit returned home from Loftus Road with all three points after a 3-1 win over QPR.

As Corberan knits together a well-drilled squad that gives up very few chances, as well as punishing sides with their top attacking play, Albion look well-equipped for winning games on the road, just like they did against Stoke City in their second road game.

Clinical finishes from Karlan Grant [pictured] and Maja earned a 2-1 win that day, with the lively Tom Fellows once again causing problems on the flanks, with last season’s defeated playoff semi-finalists looking to go even better this time around.

West Brom and Sunderland showing key improvements from 23/24 already

Form on the road was something of an issue for Albion in the previous campaign, with the Baggies registering just six wins away from the Hawthorns all season.

Ten defeats from those 23 matches all but put paid to any chances of automatic promotion, as they had to settle for a place in the playoffs, where they were once again caught short in a 3-1 defeat to Southampton at St Mary’s putting paid to their chances of a Premier League return.

With trips to Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford United to come, Albion will be looking to improve on their recent form even more so in the months to come, as they look to keep track with the leading pack as the season begins to unfold.

It was a similar story for Sunderland on the road last season, with six wins and eleven defeats effectively summing up what was a frustrating season on and off the field in the north east.

After a lengthy recruitment process to find their successor to Michael Beale, the Black Cats look to have found a man capable of getting the best out of such a young talented group in Le Bris, and are reaping the rewards as a result.

A trip to Plymouth Argyle will be followed up by a journey to Vicarage Road to face fellow high-flyers Watford before the end of the month, as their recent form on the road gets put to the test.

If they emerge from Hertfordshire with a decent result, the early signs could be forming that this is a side capable of pushing towards the top of the table come May, as momentum continues to build around the Stadium of Light, just as it does at the Hawthorns.