The 2020–21 season was Sunderland's 142nd season in their history and the third consecutive season in EFL League One. Along with League One, the club also participated in the FA Cup, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy. The season covered the period from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.
The club finished fourth in the league and would miss out on promotion after losing 3–2 on aggregate to Lincoln City in the play-off semi final. They were winners of the EFL Trophy, beating Tranmere Rovers 1–0 in the final, in the club's first win at Wembley since 1973.
First team squad
Squad No. Name Nationality Position(s) Age Ends Signed from Apps Goals Goalkeepers 1 Lee Burge GK 2021 Coventry City 22 0 20 Remi Matthews GK 2021 Bolton Wanderers 6 0 43 Anthony Patterson GK 2021 Academy 1 0 51 Adam Richardson GK 2024 Academy 0 0 Defenders 2 Conor McLaughlin RB 2021 Millwall 30 0 3 Tom Flanagan CB 2022 Burton Albion 76 4 4 Jordan Willis CB 2021 Coventry City 50 2 5 Bailey Wright CB 2022 Bristol City 20 1 16 Dion Sanderson CB 2021 Wolves (loan) 3 0 19 Arbenit Xhemajli CB 2022 Neuchâtel Xamax 1 0 25 Callum McFadzean LB 2021 Plymouth Argyle 3 0 33 Denver Hume LB 2021 Academy 64 2 35 Ollie Younger CB 2021 Burnley 1 0 40 Brandon Taylor CB 2021 Academy 6 0 54 Patrick Almond CB 17 2021 Academy 0 0 Midfielders 6 Max Power CM 2021 Wigan Athletic 98 9 7 Chris Maguire AM 2021 Bury 98 25 8 George Dobson CM 2022 Walsall 44 2 11 Lynden Gooch AM 2022 Academy 136 21 13 Luke O'Nien CM 2021 Wycombe Wanderers 109 10 14 Josh Scowen CM 2022 Queens Park Rangers 17 1 17 Elliot Embleton AM 2021 Academy 12 0 21 Jack Diamond RW 2024 Academy 9 1 23 Grant Leadbitter CM 2021 Middlesbrough 165 14 24 Dan Neil CM 2022 Academy 4 0 26 Carl Winchester CM 2023 Forest Green Rovers 1 0 28 Aiden McGeady LW 2020 Everton 86 22 29 Cieran Dunne LW 2021 Falkirk 1 0 34 Jake Hackett CM 2022 Academy 3 0 36 Sam Wilding DM 2021 West Bromwich Albion 1 0 38 Vinnie Steels LW 2021 Burnley 1 0 39 Stephen Wearne AM 2021 Middlesbrough 0 0 42 Josh Hawkes AM 2022 Hartlepool United 1 0 Forwards 9 Charlie Wyke ST 2021 Bradford City 77 19 10 Aiden O'Brien ST 2022 Millwall 12 1 12 Benjamin Mbunga-Kimpioka ST 2021 IK Sirius 14 3 22 Will Grigg ST 2022 Wigan Athletic 56 8 27 Jordan Jones LW 2021 Rangers (loan) 10 2 31 Ross Stewart ST 2023 Ross County 1 1 46 Mitchell Curry ST 2021 Middlesbrough 0 0
Transfers
Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 30 July 2020 LW Aiden O'Brien Millwall Free transfer 2 August 2020 CB Bailey Wright Bristol City Free transfer 15 August 2020 DF Bobby Beaumont Wrexham Free transfer 15 August 2020 DM Sam Wilding West Bromwich Albion Free transfer 15 August 2020 LW Vinnie Steels Burnley Free transfer 21 August 2020 CB Morgan Feeney Everton Free transfer 21 August 2020 GK Remi Matthews Bolton Wanderers Free transfer 28 August 2020 RB Kenton Richardson Hartlepool United Free transfer 1 September 2020 CF Will Harris Burnley Free transfer 4 September 2020 CB Arbenit Xhemajli Neuchâtel Xamax Free transfer 7 September 2020 CF Danny Graham Blackburn Rovers Free transfer 9 September 2020 AM Stephen Wearne Middlesbrough Free transfer 15 September 2020 AM Josh Hawkes Hartlepool United Undisclosed 16 September 2020 CF Mitchell Curry Middlesbrough Free transfer 16 September 2020 CB Ollie Younger Burnley Free transfer 21 October 2020 LM Callum McFadzean Plymouth Argyle Free transfer 10 January 2021 CM Carl Winchester Forest Green Rovers Undisclosed 31 January 2021 CF Ross Stewart Ross County Undisclosed
Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Date Until Ref. 16 October 2020 CB Dion Sanderson Wolverhampton Wanderers End of season 29 January 2021 LW Jordan Jones Rangers End of season 29 January 2021 LB Jake Vokins Southampton End of season
Loans out Date from Position Nationality Name To Date until Ref. 29 September 2020 CF Lee Connelly Alloa Athletic End of season 22 January 2021 DM George Dobson AFC Wimbledon End of season 1 February 2021 CM Elliot Embleton Blackpool End of season 2 February 2021 CF Will Grigg Milton Keynes Dons End of season 27 March 2021 CF Benjamin Mbunga-Kimpioka Torquay United End of season
Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 1 July 2020 GK Ahmed Abdelkader Unattached Released 1 July 2020 CB Jack Bainbridge Southport Released 1 July 2020 CB Jack Baldwin Bristol Rovers Released 1 July 2020 GK Adam Cameron Whickham F.C. Released 1 July 2020 CB Michael Collins Unattached Released 1 July 2020 FW Lilyan Compper Unattached Released 1 July 2020 CM Jack Connolly Cabinteely Released 1 July 2020 CB Andrias Edmundsson Águilas Released 1 July 2020 DM Kane Evans Newcastle Benfield F.C. Released 1 July 2020 RB Owen Gamble York City Released 1 July 2020 MF Nathan Greenwood Unattached Released 1 July 2020 RW Ryan Leonard Sunderland RCA Released 1 July 2020 CB Joel Lynch Unattached Released 1 July 2020 CF Kyle Lafferty Reggina Released 1 July 2020 GK Jon McLaughlin Rangers Free transfer 1 July 2020 LB Liam Miller Unattached Released 1 July 2020 GK Jack Newman Dundee United Released 1 July 2020 CB Harry Ord Pickering Town Released 1 July 2020 CM Ethan Robson Blackpool Released 1 July 2020 DM Ruben Sammut Dulwich Hamlet F.C. Released 1 July 2020 CF Connor Slack Esh Winning F.C. Released 1 July 2020 CB Tommy Smith Colchester United Released 1 July 2020 RB Tom Smith Whitley Bay F.C. Released 1 July 2020 RW Duncan Watmore Middlesbrough Released 1 July 2020 CB Alim Öztürk Ümraniyespor Released 3 July 2020 CF Cole Kiernan Middlesbrough Free transfer 18 July 2020 CF Joe Hugill Manchester United Undisclosed 18 July 2020 LB Logan Pye Manchester United Undisclosed 27 July 2020 RB Jordan Hunter South Shields Free transfer 27 July 2020 DM Bali Mumba Norwich City Undisclosed 8 January 2021 MF Jay Turner-Cooke Newcastle United Undisclosed 20 January 2021 CB Morgan Feeney Carlisle United Free transfer 1 February 2021 ST Danny Graham Retired Retired
Pre-season friendlies
Competitions EFL League One
League table
Results summary
Results by matchday
Matches
The 2020–21 season fixtures were released on 21 August.
Play-offs
FA Cup
The draw for the first round was made on Monday 26, October.
EFL Cup
The first round draw was made on 18 August, live on Sky Sports, by Paul Merson.
EFL Trophy
The regional group stage draw was confirmed on 18 August. The second round draw was made by Matt Murray on 20 November, at St Andrew's. The third round draw was made on 10 December 2020 by Jon Parkin. The Quarter Final draw was made on 23 January 2021 by Sam Parkin. The Semi Final draw was made on 5 February 2021 by Adebayo Akinfenwa.
Appearances and goals
References