Sunderland enjoyed a remarkable return to the Premier League this season, qualifying for Europe after securing seventh place on the final day of the campaign.
Beating Chelsea 2-1 at the Stadium of Light, the Black Cats leapfrogged the Blues, Brentford and Brighton to ensure that they will be playing Europa League football next season.
Here, we chart Sunderland's Premier League return in numbers.
Seven
Sunderland's seventh-place finish is the club's joint-best in the Premier League since the 1999/2000 and 2000/01 campaigns, when Kevin Phillips and Co fired the Black Cats up the table at the turn of the century.
The top-half finish represents an incredible campaign for the Wearsiders, who were only promoted last season after eight years away from the Premier League, four of which were spent in League One.
Briefly sitting second after beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in October, they slipped into the bottom half in the second half of the campaign but, picking up 14 points in their last eight games, Regis Le Bris' side climbed back up before sealing Europe on the final day.
Two
The number of wins Sunderland enjoyed over North-East rivals Newcastle United on their return to the Premier League.
Having been forced to watch on from the Championship as the Magpies qualified for the Champions League and lifted the League Cup in 2025, Sunderland fans will have been eager to get back to the big time to knock Eddie Howe's side down a peg or two and so it proved this season.
The first derby at the Stadium of Light ended in a Black Cats victory courtesy of an own goal from Newcastle centre-forward Nick Woltemade.
The second clash at St James' Park proved even more memorable as Brian Brobbey struck in the 90th minute to give Sunderland a 2-1 victory and send the travelling away fans into raptures.
Fifteen
The number of games Sunderland earned points from on home turf.
The Stadium of Light proved to be a fortress for Le Bris' men on their return to the top-flight and the results earned at home proved crucial to Sunderland's strong showing.
Unbeaten at home until a narrow defeat by Liverpool in February, the Black Cats earned an impressive draw with title winners Arsenal, while also beating Newcastle, Chelsea, Tottenham and Bournemouth.
£13 million
The price Sunderland paid to sign Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.
A Bundesliga winner, the Switzerland international also lifted the FA Cup with Arsenal on two occasions and proved a shrewd signing for the Black Cats.
A relative coup considering Sunderland had only just been promoted from the Championship when Xhaka agreed to join, the 32-year-old was a calming influence in the centre of the park, while his vast experience helped his team through matches.
Twenty-two
The number of points Sunderland picked up from losing positions this season.
Le Bris' side simply did not know when they were beaten in the Premier League, refusing to lie down and battling until the last kick of the game.
Sunderland were still fighting back in the penultimate game of the season, trailing Everton 1-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium before scoring three second-half goals to overtake the Toffees in the table and set up a push for Europe on the final day.
Only Aston Villa, who qualified for the Champions League, collected more points after trailing (23) than the Black Cats.
Minus six
Not many teams qualify for Europe with a negative goal difference, but Sunderland on -6 achieved it with a number of victories earned by a single goal.
Only three teams scored less than the Black Cats' tally of 42 (Crystal Palace and relegated Wolves and Burnley).
However, boasting the fourth best defence in the league (only Arsenal, Man City and Brighton let in fewer goals), Sunderland were able to build the points needed to finish seventh.
Fifty-three
The number of years since Sunderland last played in Europe.
Qualifying for the Cup Winners' Cup following their FA Cup triumph in 1973, Bob Stokoe's men beat Vasas of Budapest in Hungary in the first round.
However, despite beating Portuguese giants Sporting 2-1 at Roker Park in the first leg, Sunderland were eliminated 3-2 ,on aggregate in the second round.
Now after more than a half a century, the Black Cats will compete on the continent once more, taking part in the Europa League, where they could come up against Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille, Real Sociedad or even Italian giants AC Milan and Juventus.
