David Meyler says it is “crazy” that a year after fighting Premier League relegation Sunderland and Hull City are doing the same in the Championship.

A 1-0 home win at the Stadium of Light on Saturday means Meyler’s first club and his current one are level on points straddling the relegation zone, only goal difference keeping the Black Cats in it and the Tigers out.

The midfielder thinks it is a “mind-blowing” situation but just because both played top-flight football last season, he says there is no guarantees they will not be in League One next term.

“No team is too good to go down,” warned Meyler. “If you go down, you deserve to go down.

“We’re in this situation and so are Sunderland. It’s crazy to think eight months ago we were competing in the Premier League. Now we find ourselves at the wrong end of the Championship.

“It’s mind-blowing to be honest because we have a squad that should be pushing (for promotion).”

Joel Asoro, David Meyler and Michael Dawson
Joel Asoro, David Meyler and Michael Dawson

Sunderland were comfortably the better side in the opening half-hour, and got their reward with Joel Asoro scoring on his first Championship start. Hull then took hold of the game – although the hosts were still dangerous on the counter-attack – and it took Robbin Ruiter’s added-time save to stop Meyler scoring his second equaliser against Sunderland this season.

When asked if Hull deserved anything, Meyler responded: “First half no, second half yes.

“Our warm-up is very good, the intensity is there, but we got caught very flat. Sunderland came after us, they chased us, they harried us. They made it difficult and we couldn’t get a foot in the game.

“We were 1-0 down and it was basic stuff.

“(Then) we got going and started to create chances but we didn’t take them. It’s frustrating because it’s small margins.”

For all Hull’s possession they did not force many saves from Ruiter, but it looked like Meyler would frustrate his old club right at the death.

“I thought I had,” he said. “I played it into Daws (Michael Dawson), he flicked it up and (Nouha) Dicko got hold of it. I was screaming for him to get out of the way and I probably caught it too clean. He (Ruiter) came up to me and said it just hit him. It was a missed chance.”