Arsenal's 4-1 win ensures Sunderland equal lowest ever points total after 10 Premier League games

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Standard Sport29 October 2016

A 4-1 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday left Sunderland with two points from 10 Premier League games, equalling the lowest ever total at that stage.

Draws with Southampton and West Brom and eight defeats have seen David Moyes' side match the unwanted record set by Manchester City in 1995, a very different era for City.

Alexis Sanchez's second goal of the match, to seal Arsenal's 4-1 win, also left Sunderland's goal difference at minus-13 - one worse than City that season to edge them for the worst record.

That City team recovered to an extent, finishing on 38 points and being relegated on goal difference alone behind Southampton and Coventry.

If that appears to offer hope, though, it is worth remembering that while level 2-2 with Liverpool late in their last game, City opted to run the clock down by the corner flag having miscalculated the goal difference situation, in the belief that a draw would keep them up.

Everton's efforts the previous season would be a better example to follow - the Toffees recovered from taking only three points in their first 10 games of what was then a 42-game season to finish on 50, clear of relegation in 15th place.

Swindon, though, were relegated the year before that after taking three points from the first 30 available - indeed, they managed only 30 all season to finish 10 points adrift at the bottom.

The most recent precedent for a start to rival Sunderland's comes from Crystal Palace just three seasons ago, when they won one and lost nine of their first 10 games under Ian Holloway.

They surged clear of relegation and almost into the top half, finishing 11th - though that may not be a good omen for Moyes, given that their extraordinary second half of the season came after Holloway was replaced in the dugout by Tony Pulis.

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