Sunderland are back in the Premier League after an eight-year absence, and their first match is likely to be at home.
The Black Cats beat Sheffield United 2-1 in the Championship Play-Off Final in May to end their top-flight exile.
Regis Le Bris became the man to get Sunderland back into the Premier League and fans are starting to get excited.
The fixtures are about to be released and the supporters will have their eyes on when they play Newcastle United, Liverpool and Manchester United.
But due to an unusual clash, that first game will almost certainly be at the Stadium of Light, whoever it is against.
Why will Sunderland’s first game be at home?
The Stadium of Light is hosting the opening match of the upcoming 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.
The game is between England and the United States, and it’s set to take place on Friday, August 22.
This is Gameweek 2 of the 2025/26 Premier League season, meaning the Black Cats will need to be away on that weekend.
They won’t be able to host a Premier League fixture in that Gameweek due to issues relating to the pitch condition, and police logistics around big events.
As a result, Sunderland’s first match back in the top-flight should be on Wearside.
Of course, they could end up playing two away from home, but it would be a surprise if that were to happen as it would have a direct impact on Newcastle.
Sunderland are raring to go for the Premier LeagueGettyHow does it impact Newcastle United?
Most Premier League teams are paired with another side that is close to them.
This pairing means that one team is at home on one Gameweek and the other is away at the same time.
Newcastle and Sunderland are separated by only a few miles and are covered by Northumbria Police.
As a result, when Newcastle are at home, Sunderland are away.
The two sides also can’t be away at the same time due to pressure on travel routes leaving and returning to the North East.
So, if Sunderland were to play two games away from home at the start of the year, the Toon would have back-to-back fixtures at St James’ Park, which could cause some problems later down the fixture list.
The Premier League guidelines on paired teams reads as follows.
“Most clubs will have a partner club with whom they cannot clash, such as Manchester United and Manchester City, or Liverpool and Everton. In London, it gets a bit more complex and less obvious.
“We look at whether we have clubs from the same area travelling on the same train lines across the Football League and the Premier League on the same day. We want to avoid having ‘pinch points’ on the rail and road network.”
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