The eye-catching stats that prove Black Cats' strong start is no fluke

Sunderland's start to the Premier League campaign has gone better than many dared hope, with Régis Le Bris's side still in the top half despite their 2-0 defeat to Manchester United.

- by Phil Smith

Eleven points and three wins from seven games represents an excellent start, but how sustainable is the Black Cats' form? Here, we take a closer look at their performances to flag up some major positives, and areas for improvement...

Even the briefest of glances at the table underline the key reason why Sunderland have made such a strong start: They don't concede many goals. The Wearsiders have let in just six, a record bettered only by Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United.

Scratch beneath the surface, and you might begin to fear that perhaps this isn't particularly sustainable over the course of a season. After all, Sunderland have conceded the fifth-most shots in the division so far, and only two teams (Burnley and West Ham United) have allowed their opponents more touches inside their penalty area.

Sunderland are unlikely to be too troubled by this, however. More important is that their expected-goals against is the fifth best in the division, and only Arsenal and Newcastle perform better when it comes to the average XG of each opposition shot. Put simply, Sunderland's opponents get a lot of shots on goal but very few high-quality chances.