Sunderland will be aiming to make the perfect start to their return to the Championship by sealing all three points in their showdown with Coventry City this weekend.
Since securing a 2-0 victory over Wycombe Wanderers in the League One play-off final in May, the Black Cats have managed to bolster their squad in the current transfer window.
Sunderland manager Alex Neil will be able to turn to Alex Bass, Aji Alese and Daniel Ballard for inspiration during the upcoming campaign after the club completed deals for this trio.
Jack Clarke meanwhile has joined the Black Cats on a permanent basis from Tottenham Hotspur following a loan spell at the Stadium of Light last season.
As for Coventry, they have also engaged in some transfer activity as they aim to push on in the Championship under the guidance of Mark Robins.
The Sky Blues have swooped for Kasey Palmer, Jonathan Panzo and Callum Doyle this summer.
Ahead of this weekend's game, Carlton Palmer has revealed that he believes that Sunderland will seal a 1-0 victory over Coventry at the Stadium of Light.
Speaking to Football League World, Palmer said: "It's a nightmare for Coventry, you really wouldn't want to be going to the Stadium of Light on the opening day of the season when they've just got promotion, the place is going to be bouncing.
"So, it's a very difficult one.
"Sunderland have brought in new players from the squad that got promoted through the play-offs.
"But Coventry had a very, very good season, they've been improving year-on-year and this year they'll be looking, I would think, to make that next step on from last season.
"So as much as I'm saying it's a difficult place to go, I think the adjustment for Sunderland is going to take some time.
"So I would say as a betting man, it would be a draw.
"But because of the emotion and everything, I'm going to go for a narrow, slender 1-0 win for Sunderland."
The Verdict
Saturday's fixture will certainly be a test for Sunderland as Coventry produced a host of impressive performances in the Championship last season and will be determined to pick up a positive result on their travels.
When you consider that the Black Cats have only lost one game at home since handing over the reins to Neil, they will be confident in their ability to cause issues for the Sky Blues.
In order to have the best chance of sealing victory in this particular fixture, Sunderland will need Ross Stewart to be firing on all cylinders.
The Scotland international helped the Black Cats seal a place in the Championship by scoring 26 goals and providing five assists in the third-tier.