Sunderland are expected to bounce back to winning ways against Rochdale tomorrow, with a Stadium of Light crowd anticipating a handsome home victory.
But if the last few weeks have taught us anything, it's that nothing should be taken for granted in this division.
Certainly Jack Ross will be meticulous in his planning as Keith Hill bring his Dale side to the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats manager has plenty of options to choose from as he looks to rekindle Sunderland's rampant start to the season, although Max Power serves the final game of his suspension.
Here's what everyone has been saying ahead of the big game:
Sunderland 4-1 Rochdale
Sunderland team news
Jack Ross will have to rethink his forward line following Charlie Wyke's injury, and could bring Chris Maguire back into the starting XI after his goalscoring appearance off the bench at Burton.
Dylan McGeouch should be able to resume his central midfield role, while Ross has decisions to make at full-back - or wing-back - on both flanks, with Adam Matthews, Denver Hume, Reece James and Bryan Oviedo all pushing for places.
Tom Flanagan could be teamed with Jack Baldwin and Glenn Loovens if Ross opts for three at the back.
Possible line-up: McLaughlin; Hume, Baldwin, Loovens, Oviedo; Cattermole, McGeouch, Gooch, Honeyman; Maguire, Maja.
Jack Ross' verdict
“It has been well documented, not that we have started games poorly, but we have conceded goals early fairly often this season.
“Even before the Burton game we did a little presentation to the players which showed had the league only been played between 15 minutes to 90 we would have only conceded one goal all season.
“It was probably a neat way to highlight it and in terms of highlighting it, I think it’s about finding the consistency on the training pitch and in the analysis.
“I think it is a fine line of becoming paranoid or worried about something but equally about rectifying it.
“I think it has been a little bit of a learning experience for us in terms of how teams approach coming to the Stadium of Light.
“Some teams have came and sat back and some teams have been really aggressive. I think it’s a period of transition of how we adapt to this league but it is something we are trying to put right.”
Jack Ross on injuries
Charlie Wyke
“It’s unfortunate because while it is the same knee, and the same type of injury, it is nothing to do with the fact that he had that injury in the summer.
“It’s just bad luck that it is the same leg and there is damage to his posterior cruciate ligament.
“It doesn’t require surgery - if you have a cruciate problem, that is the better one to have - but he will be in a brace for the next few weeks and then it is a process of rehabilitation.”
Duncan Watmore
“He’s joined in with little bits of my work for the last eight to ten days. It varies depending what work we’re doing.
“On Thursday he did a little bit with me and the rest of the group and that’s helped him mentally because he’s in with the first-team players again and not on his own.
“The thing is having suffered that injury twice it’s a really difficult thing to deal with. I’ve got a duty of care as a manager to make sure he doesn’t feel under duress to come back too quickly. He’s desperate to get back but he’s a smart guy and he understands he needs to be completely right physically and mentally."
Keith Hill's verdict
"We’ve got to get rid of the sideshows, the psychology, the big stadium.
“To be fair to Sunderland, they’ve had two terrible seasons, they’re a Premier League side playing League One football.
“All they’re going to do now is bounce, whether it’s under Jack Ross, a different manager, whether it’s with this group of players or a different group of players, they won’t be playing League One football for long.”
Rochdale team news
Dale are without midfielder Matt Lund who was ruled out for six weeks in pre-season.
Rochdale likely XI: Lillis; Rafferty, McGahey, Delaney, Hart; Rathbone, Camps, Henderson; Andrew, Gillam; Wilbraham
Sunderland vs Rochdale prediction
Stuart Jamieson: Sunderland will be out to show the rest of the league that last week's defeat was just a minor blip. The Black Cats have enough quality all over the pitch to ensure they roar back to winning ways - and in style.
Prediction: Sunderland 4-1 Rochdale
League Table
Here's where the two sides are ahead of the clash.
