Comparing Sunderland’s start this season to last season

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Sunderland have had a familiar start to this season under different management but are the numbers similar?

It is safe to say it has not been an ideal start to the season for Sunderland under David Moyes; if nothing else it has been eerily familiar.

Having recorded the worst ever Premier League start, the win over Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon was welcome relief for the Scot.

So how does this compare to the start of last season?

We have a look at the statistics:

2015/16 season:

2016/17 season:

The statistics would suggest that the Sunderland at the start of last season tried to be a bit more open, in terms of both goals scored and goals conceded. Over the same period, the side had won just one game. Last season it predictably came in a derby win against Newcastle United, meaning they sat in 19th place.

It should also be noted that Dick Advocaat was replaced by Sam Allardyce during this period but to compare it to this season, there has been a very familiar feeling around the club.

Sunderland have again had just one win, sit bottom of the table, and are not above Swansea City purely because of goal difference.

One interesting aspect to highlight is goal threat. This season, it is clear Sunderland are relying on the goals from Jermain Defoe – who has found the net on six occasions to date – but there have only been two other goal-scorers in Patrick van Aanholt and Victor Anichebe.

Sunderland goalscorers after 11 games 2015/16:

Here there is over double the amount of goal-scorers at the same stage of the season. That is something that Sunderland need to address this season in order for there to be more of a goal threat, members of the current squad simply have to step up. In a way, there are similar challenges in trying to get more goals from different areas of the team, as like last season, the Black Cats are very reliant on their forwards to score.

Moyes may point to the fact Sunderland have conceded fewer goals, and suggest there is a degree more solidity. But no clean sheet and the same goal-difference is striking. It is an area of the side that needs further improvement, like they enjoyed under Sam Allardyce as the season went on.