Playing the numbers

I ran read about Sunderland’s recent record before tonight’s game with Arsenal and was bemused – 11 points from 7 games. Extrapolated to 38 games in a season in the Premier League, Sunderland would be challenging for Europe and it is well ahead of the accepted thought that an average of one point per game over the season avoids relegation. Something to be positive about, except that 11 points from 7 games is barely more than one result better than that average – and given the unpredictable nature of football and sports in general, their recent form may just be the turn of the dice