Sunderland

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

My first game this season was at newcomers Sunderland against West Ham. On that balmy August day I wrote: "West Ham looked as lumpen and leggy as the opposition look sprightly and energetic... it felt like two different generations playing against each other."

The Hammers have changed managers but not much else. Sunderland continue to look sprightly but have improved on that selfless, fearless enthusiasm they used to blast West Ham away.

The 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge at the weekend was a surprise but not a shock.

‌Chelsea's far more expensively acquired youthful outfit will have a few of these slip-ups, especially when key players are injured and their naivety can be exposed.

‌Currently sitting in fourth, Sunderland fans are wondering if they can keep it going for a top-four finish.

‌The brutal reality is that they have 17 points and the club think only of getting to 34 points and relative safety. They are halfway there with only a quarter of the games played, so it is looking good.

Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, former Sunderland forward Marco Gabbiadini says striker Wilson Isidor, who has scored four goals in nine games this season, has "upped his game" at Sunderland:

"He's got great strength and pace over distance, which sometimes is difficult to do. He actually keeps a gallop up and keeps control of the ball and we've seen him score so many of these breakaway goals.

"There were times last season when Isidor was moved out wide to accommodate Eliezer Mayenda through the middle, but he is taking his chances when he's been selected.

"He's really upped his game, last season he was a slow starter, it took him a while to get into the rhythm of the club, but he soon became a bit of a favourite and he's scored some spectacular goals.

"He really has a good connection with the crowd, because he looks like he enjoys playing. You can tell that he's really having the time of his life."

Listen to more Sunderland content from BBC Radio Newcastle here

Adam Lanigan
BBC Sport, North East & Cumbria

Image source, Getty Images

One man who had been keeping an eye on Regis Le Bris during his time at Lorient was Sunderland's French owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.

The Black Cats had put together a talented but youthful squad and they needed a guiding hand.

Although there was no experience in English football and only two years as a number one, Le Bris was almost the perfect candidate to take this project on.

"Regis Le Bris is a pure coach," said French football expert Julien Laurens.

"All he cares about is the training pitch, doing his sessions, transmitting his ideas across and the game itself. What surrounds that is not really for him.

"Le Bris used to be one of the best academy directors and youth-level coaches in France. What he loves the most is coaching young players. He is so good at explaining to them how to get better.

"I had no doubt that moving to Sunderland could work for him."

Growing up in Brittany, Le Bris was proud of his roots and the strong Breton cultural identity of the area.

So when deciding to leave, moving to the north-east of England may seem miles apart, but the 49-year-old has forged a strong attachment to Wearside.

"He used to be in a club in Lorient that had so much identity," said Laurens.

"Sunderland was perfect for him. He could only have gone to a club with such a strong sense of identity and community like Sunderland has because that's what he was used to.

"He's a very proud Breton and he knows how much this means to people in Sunderland and in the region overall."

Now Le Bris is the first French manager in the Premier League since Patrick Vieira left Crystal Palace in March 2023.

Only four newly promoted managers in Premier League history have won more points than Le Bris after nine games - Kenny Dalglish, Bryan Robson, Phil Brown and Frank Clark.

"I'm hugely impressed," ex-England midfielder Michael Carrick said of the Frenchman on Match of the Day.

"There are so many positives to look at. They had four players from the team last season [in the squad against Chelsea] so it's a big change and from a coaching perspective, to implement that so quickly and to accumulate the points they have is an unbelievable achievement."

Read more about Le Bris and Sunderland here

Adam Lanigan
BBC Sport, North East & Cumbria

Image source, Getty Images

It is fair to say that when Sunderland announced the appointment of Regis Le Bris in June 2024, underwhelmed was the overriding emotion.

It had taken three months to find a permanent replacement for Michael Beale and the club had come up with a man who had just been relegated from Ligue 1 in France with Lorient.

But with the Black Cats ending an eight-year exile from the top flight by beating Sheffield United in the play-off final, that has turned to immense pride among the club's support.

"The fans love him," said BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentator Nick Barnes.

"The results are the first things that win them over, so he has achieved that.

"But they also see that he is a genuinely nice guy with a nice demeanour about him. In public and in press conferences, he smiles, he can crack a joke, he's very patient and I think people have responded to that."

With a doctorate in sport physiology and biomechanics to his name, Le Bris is not your typical manager. His popularity on Wearside meant that a trip to the seafront at Roker early on in his tenure caught him by surprise when he was mobbed by fans.

Learning his lesson, this calm and considered character has since sneaked in to Newcastle on occasion to enjoy an evening out.

However, it is at the Academy of Light where this student of football is in his element.

"Regis is a bit shy, but he's very personable and he has a wry sense of humour and he's become a bit more comfortable in his own skin," said Barnes.

"He is very, very focused. He seems to spend his life immersed in the job. He jokingly refers to being at his happiest in front of his laptop, watching matches.

"He purposely learned English to come to this country to make a name for himself and you could argue he has done that."

Le Bris had a modest playing career, during which time he featured in Ligue 1 for Rennes, but this proud son of Brittany found his true calling when he turned his hand to coaching at the age of 27 with Wasquehal.

He quickly obtained his badges and was soon returning to his old club to take on a youth coaching role.

He had success there winning the French equivalent of the Youth Cup and the U18 Championship before taking on a similar job at Lorient.

Again, he was heavily involved in the youth programme, being successful with the under-17s and then becoming reserve team manager.

But behind his involvement in youth football was a burning desire to improve himself and take on a top job.

"Regis has always been very ambitious," said Mathieu Pelicart, Lorient correspondent for regional newspaper Le Telegramme.

"While preparing to make the step up to be a number one, he had already done a few trips abroad to clubs in Germany and Spain and he had never hidden his desire to learn more about other leagues."

His wish was granted as he took over Lorient in 2022, and after eight wins in his first 10 games the club reached second in the table.

They eventually finished 10th, but still enjoyed wins against Lyon, Lille and most notably at Paris St-Germain - a side containing Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

However, things went awry in his second season which ultimately ended with relegation on the final day. He left the club by mutual consent on 22 June 2024.

Read more about Le Bris and Sunderland here

Image source, Getty Images

The team on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club have been debating whether the sides promoted to the Premier League can survive, given their starts to the campaign.

The Observer's Rory Smith: "It won't be the case that the three newly promoted sides will go down with a whimper. They have learnt the lesson of Forest and Villa. The way the Premier League works now is you come up, you spend all that money, and you hope you can survive. As things stand, I would say it's unlikely all three go down and it might not be any of them.

"The average team in the Premier League is better than it has ever been - just as it was last season.

"You go through the league - Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford - they can all beat absolutely everyone. You are seeing this levelling out in the Premier League and it is to Arsenal's enormous credit that they seem to be hovering above it."

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton: "Sunderland have been top drawer in the way they play. They carry a threat when they go forward. Looking back at the game against Chelsea, they had opportunities, they defended well and they threw bodies forward.

"I know it is early days, but you don't feel the wheels are going to come off. Their recruitment has been sensational and the way Regis Le Bris has got the team performing and functioning, and as competitive as they are, it is a testament to him. They have arguably got their star player [Habib] Diarra out injured.

"We always say with the promoted clubs that the start is really important and then they can get a foothold and gain confidence and feel they can be a match for anybody."

Former Premier League winger Andros Townsend: "Even if the wheels come off, they're [Sunderland] still doing a much better job than the last couple of promoted sides have done.

"In terms of Sunderland and Leeds, they have hostile atmospheres, amazing pitches. It gives them a massive boost. Nobody wants to go and play Leeds. Leeds away, no matter what division, is not a great place to go and win a football match. It's definitely helping them."

Sunderland are plotting another loan move for Marc Guiu in January after Chelsea recalled the 19-year-old Spanish striker just two games into a season-long deal agreed last summer. (Football Transfers), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Gavin Henderson
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

All season long, despite our fantastic start to the Premier League campaign, we have heard that Sunderland have been good - but they have not really played anyone yet.

Which, of course, was a load of rubbish.

I suppose you could say we had not yet really been up against the established elite, so when a trip away to Chelsea was on the cards we had the perfect opportunity to shut any doubters up.

Thankfully, we did just that with what was an unbelievably controlled and measured performance.

This was no smash and grab. Sunderland more than deserved the victory and once again showed that immense "Til The End" spirit that has run right through this team since Regis Le Bris took charge at the club.

Having gone behind very early, we scored twice and broke the hearts of the Chelsea supporters when Chemsdine Talbi buried his chance in stoppage time.

Wilson Isidor, our top scorer from last season, got his fourth Premier League goal of the campaign to keep proving why he is the man who should be leading the line in red and white each week.

Teams we are about to face in the coming weeks will not be looking forward to playing us, I am sure of it.

We are not your typical Premier League side and, to be blunt, we are horrible to play against.

We will work harder than you; we will outfight and out-battle you.

You have got to be prepared to go to war with us in the trenches if you want to defeat us, and we will be direct and make you as uncomfortable as possible if it means we are going to take points from you.

Bring it on, I say. I am enjoying how much Sunderland seem to be upsetting the established elite and are defying the odds.

Let's keep on showing why we are different, and why it is unfair to compare us to other promoted sides from previous seasons who did not show an ounce of the ambition that we have.

PS: Does this mean we are now world champions?

Find more from Gavin Henderson at Roker Report, external

On Monday, we took a look into Sunderland's joint-best start to a Premier League season and what this could mean for the rest of the campaign.

We asked you for your predictions on how far up (or down) the table Regis Le Bris' side might end up, having already broken into the top four.

The results as of 16:30 GMT showed there is plenty of optimism among supporters, with nearly half (45%) eyeing a top-half finish.

The second most popular prediction was a safe 11th-16th position, while just 6% felt the Black Cats would end up anywhere lower than this.

Despite the positive start, not too many fans see a dream campaign that leads to a European adventure or even a Premier League title, but having been one of the favourites for relegation, securing another season in the top flight would be reward enough for most supporters.

You can add your choice here

On the latest episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, the panel discusses Sunderland's fantastic start to the Premier League season.

Former Premier League winger Andros Townsend says Regis Le Bris' side are getting the balance right tactically, adding that they are "looking to press high but are also happy to sit back and be compact".

Sunderland fan Frankie Francis spoke about the excitement among supporters, and told the story of how the club's owner managed to persuade Granit Xhaka to move to the Stadium of Light following their promotion from the Championship.

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini spoke to BBC Radio Newcastle about Granit Xhaka's development as the club's captain: "He exemplifies a top professional.

"When he was an Arsenal player at times you felt like he was a bit of a villain. Over the years we have seen him mature and develop.

"We've seen a slightly more restrained version of Xhaka, but it's actually better than the fully committed, blowing steam out of his ears sort of player that we saw at Arsenal.

"He's a little bit more measured, calmer and a better professional. To have that in your squad especially when you've got a young squad, and everyone believes in him, he's a talisman.

"We need to wrap him in cotton wool and keep him going for 38 games."

Tyrese King
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland have been the Premier League's surprise package this season, with not many fans expecting them to be in a Champions League spot, let alone second place, behind league leaders Arsenal and above last season's winners Liverpool by the end of October.

The Black Cats spent £161m on 15 new players - a record level of spending for a promoted side.

But ex-Gunners captain Granit Xhaka and his midfield partner Noah Sadiki, a pair bought this summer for a combined £28m, have been pivotal to the early-season form.

"I'm just fascinated by his drive", said journalist Nick Barnes on BBC Radio Newcastle in September, speaking about Granit Xhaka.

"Even from the very start, his messages have always been 'we're here to create history and make a name for ourselves' and there's a lot of psychology that goes into his approach.

"I think with the age he is and still playing at this level, he's is very driven."

Sunderland manager Regis le Bris told Hayters TV after their 2-1 victory over Chelsea: "Granit is the captain who sets the standards everyday.

"On the pitch he is a very good footballer, he enjoys driving the squad. He's like a second coach on the pitch."

Xhaka put in a dominant display against two of the most expensive players central midfielders in the league - Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.

The Swiss stitched together passing patterns against the Blues, and provided steel in the middle of the park with well-timed tackles.

Xhaka ranks first for assists (three), chances created (11), successful passes (397), passes into the box (49), touches (629), duels won (56) and possession won (43).

Sadiki, 20, has not missed a single one of Sunderland's Premier League games this season, starting them all. He also has a 86% passing accuracy of 304 attempts.

However it is the pairs' running power where they impress the most.

In the Premier League there is no one who has covered more distance than them - as the table above shows - underlining how essential the north-east's dynamic duo are in the engine room.

As a team, Sunderland have averaged 42.5% possession in their nine matches this season - only Crystal Palace, Everton and West Ham have a lower average.

But, despite spending so much time without the ball, only Arsenal and Manchester City have conceded fewer goals than Sunderland. Their 53.3% duel success is the second best in the division behind Manchester City.

At this stage, it seems some midfield legs, a touch of Xhaka class and a willingness to battle is proving the perfect recipe for success in the top tier.

Joe Rindl
BBC Sport journalist

Undoubtedly, Sunderland - who won 2-1 at Chelsea on Saturday - have been the biggest surprise of the Premier League so far this season.

Minutes away from a Championship play-off final defeat in May, they will end October fourth in the top flight.

With 17 points from nine matches, the Black Cats have equalled their best Premier League start, matching their tally from 1999-2000.

Only five newly promoted sides have earned more points than Sunderland in the same number of matches. All five, including Sunderland themselves in 2000, managed to survive relegation.

"It's an unbelievable start and one that's been well earned," former Watford captain Troy Deeney told Final Score.

"If you said that a couple of months ago, Sunderland fans would tell you, you're crazy."

Ex-Manchester United and England midfielder Michael Carrick added on BBC Radio 5 Live: "Anyone who is honest enough will say that they never expected Sunderland to start this well, so full credit to them.

"The amount of points they have accumulated already has given them an unbelievable start and that's something they will want to build on."

Where do you think the Black Cats can finish this campaign? A dream run to European places or could relegation still be on the cards?

Make your choice here

Image source, Opta

It may only be October, but is it already a one-horse Premier League title race?

Arsenal's impressive start to the season - along with their regular Premier League title rivals stumbling - has left Mikel Arteta's side with a 67.34% chance of winning the trophy this season, according to the latest predictions from Opta's Supercomputer.

The Gunners, who have scored the second-most goals and conceded the fewest, have looked in imperious form as they bid to win a first Premier League title since 2004.

Manchester City are their nearest predicted challenger at 12.43%, despite sitting fifth in the table and six points off Arsenal at the top.

Following their 3-2 defeat by Brentford on Saturday - their fourth successive loss in the league - reigning champions Liverpool, who currently sit seventh, have been given the third-best chance of keeping hold of their crown at 11.04%.

They may be second in the table, but the Gunners' nearest challengers Bournemouth have still only been given a 1.47% chance of lifting the Premier League trophy.

A top-four finish and guaranteed Champions League football, however, is rated as a 22.67% chance for the Cherries.

They may be their closest rivals geographically and be third in the league, but Opta does not have Tottenham running Arteta's side all that close for the top-flight crown, with just an eighth-best 1.43% chance.

And what of surprise candidates Sunderland?

They are fourth in the table following their 93rd-minute winner against Chelsea on Saturday, but thoughts of a dream run to the title for fans should be tempered according to the supercomputer.

The promoted side have been given a 0% chance of lifting the trophy and also just a 0.91% chance of staying in the top four. However, the Black Cats' chance of relegation now stand at less than 10% (9.52%).

Image source, Opta

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Chelsea and Sunderland.

Here are some of your comments:

Chelsea fans

Ari: One step forward and two steps back. We just simply don't have the talent to break down teams who put everyone behind the ball. We are so inconsistent as well. This takes me back to the late 90s when we would show up against the big boys but struggle against the lesser teams. We also lack leaders. Where are the Terrys, the Lampards and the Drogbas?

Michael: A poor performance. There's no point having all that possession if you cannot create chances. Sunderland packed their defence but we had no creative spark. It was all too slow and predictable and we got rightly punished for it at the end but it was a game we should have won comfortably.

Alan: We have a good squad of talented players. Our problem is that this manager doesn't know how to get the best out of them. His style of football is not working and he has no plan B.

Rod: Great display against Liverpool, now back to the old ways of playing along with the manager making as usual his boring excuses. So many talented players yet still not putting it together, could this be managerial issues? Maresca look at yourself for a change.

Sunderland fans

David: A statement win which has finally earned us some proper recognition. Am so proud of the team, club, fans and city. Astute management is making the most of clever recruitment and, whisper it, we may finally have got a top half Premier league team.

Craig: The fans are delighted that we are being taken seriously, and most importantly that the players and the manager are taking being in the Premier League seriously. This wasn't a fluke win; they were genuinely better than Chelsea, on their own ground. Absolute dreamland.

Ray: Before today's game, all the pundits were saying that we were in a false position as we hadn't played anyone yet. I agree. We've only played teams below us in the league! Well done Sunderland AFC, WOW!

Dan: I thought our bubble might burst today with having such a good start so was hoping for a point but expecting a defeat. Great win, the players look like they're enjoying themselves and playing for the club and the fans. Great team spirit in the camp. Surprising everyone including us. Loving it!

Perhaps the most surprising element of Sunderland's start - beyond their points tally - is that they have managed to embed so many new signings after promotion.

The club spent £161m on 15 new players - a record level of spending for a promoted side.

It makes Sunderland's start even more of an outlier, with the Black Cats challenging perceptions about making too many changes to a squad that have earned promotion.

"It's an unbelievable start and one that's been well earned," former Watford captain Troy Deeney told Final Score.

"Most teams when they come up stick with the players that got them up but Sunderland were ruthless.

"They changed the goalkeeper and more or less every single player and said 'we will try and stay up', and to be second in this moment in time, not only will they have belief they can stay up but they'll think, 'do you reckon we can get in the top 10?'.

"If you said that a couple of months ago Sunderland fans would tell you you're crazy."

Signing so many players could have disrupted the harmony of the dressing room, leaving the players that helped the club back into the top flight resenting those that have come in and taken their place.

But, on this evidence so far, it's been the opposite.

Chris Wise
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

I learned a couple of new things this weekend. I found out that Sunderland now have more Premier League points than Leicester City did at this same stage of their title-winning season of 2015-16.

Having interviewed Wilson Isidor after the game, I also discovered the French word for fox is "renard". I'd called his goal a "poacher's finish", a term which clearly didn't translate, but he said (with a big smile) "I believe you call it the fox in the box".

What I did know about Sunderland - having seen them with my own eyes once already this season - is they are a very intuitive, well-coached, balanced team.

Their last-gasp win at Chelsea was yet further proof of how a newly promoted team can be both offensively brave and defensively brittle in the same breath.

They've been in some dark places at Sunderland in recent years. I can't imagine too many days have felt as gloriously bright as Saturday did.

Pundits Michael Carrick and Ashley Williams join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Chelsea 1-2 Sunderland

• Newcastle 2-1 Fulham

• Man Utd 4-2 Brighton

Sean Kearns
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland moved into second place in the Premier League as winger Chemsdine Talbi scored a 94th-minute winner to stun Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Regis le Bris' side were on the brink of earning a valuable point in west London, but snatched all three when Talbi converted from the edge of the box after a quick counter-attack.

The victory - Sunderland's second on the road this season - was all the more remarkable given Chelsea had taken an early lead when Alejandro Garnacho scored his first goal for the club with a fine solo effort.

Sunderland levelled through Wilson Isidor, who netted from close range for his fourth goal of the season following Chelsea's failure to clear their lines from a long throw.

The Black Cats were less adventurous in the second half, seemingly content to settle for a point against the Club World Cup champions.

But the home side struggled to create clear-cut chances and over-committed numbers in the search of a winner.

Sunderland expertly exploited the space left in Chelsea's half as substitute Brian Brobbey latched on to a long ball, held up possession and laid off for Talbi to score a famous winner.

The win means the Black Cats move into second place, two points behind leaders Arsenal having played a game more than the Gunners.

Chelsea, who would have gone second with a victory of their own, slip to seventh behind London rivals Tottenham.

Listen to Wilson Isidor's post-match interview on BBC Sounds