Sunderland head into next week's League One play-off final brimming with confidence after a strong finish to the season - and with their 48-year Wembley hoodoo finally having been broken. Wembley appearances have been viewed with a growing sense of apprehension over the previous four decades as Sunderland's defeats at the national stadium racked up.
But such worries are now a thing of the past, following Sunderland's victory against Tranmere Rovers in the EFL Trophy final under the arch in March last year. It was their first win in nine attempts since their famous FA Cup triumph against Leeds United in 1973, and the only sadness was that there were no fans there to see it as the game was played behind-closed-doors due to the Covid rules then in place.
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