Scott Parker hails Sunderland’s ‘incredible’ rise ahead of Burnley clash

Scott Parker has delivered a glowing assessment of Sunderland ahead of Burnley’s trip to the Stadium of Light, describing the Black Cats’ Premier League return as “incredible” while acknowledging the scale of the challenge facing his own side.

Burnley travel to Wearside on Monday evening knowing they are running out of time to close the gap to safety, but Parker insists his players remain focused on building momentum in the final stretch of the season.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Burnley boss highlighted how impressively Sunderland have adjusted to life back in the top flight following promotion from the Championship last season.

“They’ve done incredible. They’ve done really well,” Parker said. “They’ve obviously invested a huge amount of money and probably seen a totally different squad to the squad they were last year, but they’ve done very, very well.”

Under Régis Le Bris, Sunderland have emerged as one of the surprise success stories of the campaign, playing themselves clear of relegation danger with weeks to spare.

“I think momentum for them, obviously early on in the season when they picked up points, has probably pushed them as well,” Parker added.

Burnley’s task is made harder by the environment they will face on Monday night. Parker was quick to stress that Sunderland away is among the more demanding fixtures in the division.

“We’re going to a tough place, like we know,” he said. “We went there last year — a stadium that is hostile as well. We know what we’re coming up against.”

The Clarets have already faced Sunderland once this season and managed to come away with a positive result, something Parker hopes can provide belief despite the league table suggesting otherwise.

While Sunderland have thrived since promotion, Burnley’s return to the Premier League has been far more turbulent. Parker’s side currently sit 10 points adrift of safety with just 15 matches remaining.

However, the Burnley boss believes recent performances point to progress, even if results have not always followed.

“Momentum is massive, really,” Parker explained. “Our fixtures at the start of the season were pretty tough. We were the finest of margins in a lot of games — those were the facts.”

He referenced recent positive results against Manchester United and Liverpool, as well as last weekend’s late 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

“That’s why the weekend is a little bit disappointing,” he admitted. “So close against Spurs that it could have just been that springboard. But I still believe it is.”

Monday night’s fixture underlines the contrasting paths the two promoted sides have taken. Sunderland have combined recruitment, momentum and adaptability to establish themselves in mid-table, while Burnley remain locked in a battle for survival.

Having followed both clubs closely this season, Sunderland’s early points haul has proven decisive, whereas Burnley have often found themselves punished by small margins against elite opposition.

Burnley must start converting encouraging performances into wins if they are to avoid an immediate return to the Championship. Monday’s clash offers a chance to test their resilience against one of the league’s in-form sides, while Sunderland will aim to continue their impressive home form and further distance themselves from the bottom three.

Much will depend on whether Burnley can harness the momentum Parker believes is building.

Can Burnley upset one of the Premier League’s surprise packages — or will Sunderland’s momentum prove decisive again?