Sunderland's new predicted final Premier League finish after Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest defeats | OneFootball

Opta's latest projections have Sunderland finishing 12th in the Premier League on 50.64 points, with four matches remaining.

Sunderland Echo notes this update follows a gruelling week, with a late defeat at Aston Villa on Sunday and a 5-0 loss to Nottingham Forest at the Stadium of Light on Friday.

Forest led through a Trai Hume own goal, then Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White, Igor Jesus and Elliot Anderson added further strikes to compound Regis Le Bris and his players' disappointment.

Many expected Sunderland to spend the season fighting for survival after promotion via last May's Championship play-off final win over Sheffield United. Instead they have exceeded expectations and, despite back-to-back setbacks, remain on the fringes of the European race.

They are in the bottom half but remain within touching distance of the top seven. Opta's model has Arsenal first on 81.52 points, Manchester City second on 79.35 and Manchester United third on 65.75, with Nottingham Forest 16th, West Ham 17th and Tottenham 18th.

Source: Sunderland Echo