The strongest newly promoted team in the Premier League in 17 years has emerged, led by Xhaka, as Sunderland secures a 2-1 away victory over Chelsea to rise to second place.

Fans who follow the Premier League know that in the past two seasons (2023-24 and 2024-25), all three promoted teams were immediately relegated back to the Championship. But the 2025-26 Premier League newcomers are impressively strong, particularly Sunderland, who brought in multiple new signings this summer, almost like last season’s Nottingham Forest that earned a Europa League spot, featuring former Arsenal captain Xhaka (9 games, 3 assists). This promoted team’s impact is growing stronger and more intense.

In the 9th round of the Premier League, Sunderland clinched a 2-1 comeback win away at Chelsea, with Talbi scoring the decisive goal in stoppage time. Chelsea took the lead through Ganacho’s first goal for the Blues, with Isido equalizing. In the final stages, Chelsea made wholesale attacking substitutions, eager to secure three points at Stamford Bridge and chase a fifth consecutive win across all competitions. However, pushing forward left them vulnerable, allowing Sunderland to launch a successful counterattack, with Talbi delivering the fatal blow, ending Chelsea’s four-match winning streak and securing his own second consecutive Premier League victory, further boosting Sunderland’s league position.

By toppling the Blues at Stamford Bridge, Sunderland, the Black Cats, have climbed to second place in the Premier League, just two points behind leaders Arsenal. It must be said that this promoted Sunderland side is very impressive, almost like a dark horse galloping through the league like a “thousand-mile horse treading on snow.”

According to statistics, Sunderland ranks joint sixth among the best-performing promoted sides in Premier League history over the same period. After 9 rounds, Sunderland has 5 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses, totaling 17 points, matching the record of Hull City from the 2008-09 season. This makes Sunderland the strongest promoted team in the Premier League in 17 years.