Sunderland have now lost six games in a row and are moving closer to the bottom of the Championship standings after a disheartening defeat to Southampton over the weekend.

But, given their previous history, might the Black Cats already have enough points? The Echo examines the previous ten years to see how many points were sufficient to live.

2022/23 – 45 pts.

Last season, Reading was relegated to League One with 44 points. Cardiff remained in 21st place, with 49 points.

2021/2022 – 38 pts.

A mere 38 points would have sufficed to keep them in the Championship in 2022, since Peterborough, Derby, and Barnsley all failed to achieve that mark.

2020/2021 – 44 pts.2021 Derby escaped relegation with 44 points, one point above of relegated Wycombe Wanderers, who joined Rotherham United and Sheffield Wednesday in English football’s third division.

2019/20 – 49 points.

Barnsley narrowly avoided relegation by finishing with 49 points, one point ahead of Charlton, who returned to League One after winning the play-off against Sunderland a year earlier.

2018/2019 – 41 pts.

Another low score was necessary to stay in the Championship in 2019, as both Ipswich Town and Bolton Wanderers failed to reach 40 points, while Rotherham finished with 40. Millwall kept up with 44 points, although 41 would have sufficed.

2017/2018 – 42 pts.

In 2018, Sunderland was relegated for the second time in two years, finishing last in the league with 37 points. Barnsley and Bolton were both relegated, and neither fared much better, finishing with 41 points.

2016/2017 – 52 pts.

Although Nottingham Forest finished with 51 points, they did so on goal difference, with Blackburn relegated to League One by two goals. Burton finished ahead of Forest with 52 points, the greatest total in the last ten years.

2015/2016 – 41 pts.

Charlton was relegated again in 2016 after finishing with 40 points, with MK Dons and Bolton joining them in League One.

2014/2015 – 42 pts.

Millwall were relegated to the third division in 2015, finishing five points behind 21st-placed Rotherham. The Lions ended with 41 points, with Wigan and Blackpool lagging behind.

2013/2014 – 45 pts.

Another example of a club being relegated on goal difference occurred in 2014, when Doncaster Rovers were demoted to League One owing to Birmingham City’s higher goal difference after both teams ended with 44 points.

Verdict

Over the last ten years, the average number of points needed for a club to stay on top has been 44. Sunderland’s current point total of 47 would have been enough to keep them in the Championship for eight of the previous ten seasons.

Only three times in Championship history has a team lost with 50 or more points. Blackburn had 52 points on goal difference in 2017, Peterborough had 54 points in 2013, and Gillingham had 50 points in 2005, all on goal difference.

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