Sunderland

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Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg is "absolutely buzzing" after signing a new contract, which will see him stay at the Stadium of Light until 2030.

The 18-year-old made his Premier League debut last week in the 3-0 win over West Ham.

He has made 74 senior appearances for the club overall, including playing a crucial part in the Black Cats return to the top flight and is the youngest outfield debutant in Sunderland's history.

He also won the Championship apprentice of the year award in 2024.

"There was only ever one ambition I had, and that was to agree a long-term deal here", Rigg said.

"It's been an incredible journey since I made my debut at 15, and I love playing here and being here every day, so I'm absolutely buzzing.

"The past couple of years have flown by - it only feels like yesterday that I made my Championship debut, and a couple of weeks ago I made my Premier League debut.

"It feels unreal, and I couldn't have asked for more. I'm so thankful to everyone who has helped me, and I'm so proud to be part of this team and this club."

Sunderland hope to convince West Ham centre-back Nayef Aguerd, 29, to join them but Marseille, AC Milan and AS Roma are all interested in the Morocco international. (Footmercato - in French), external

The Premier League newcomers have also made a new offer worth £24m to Bologna for 27-year-old Colombia defender Jhon Lucumi. (Sky Sports), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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We asked for your views on Tuesday's EFL Cup match between Sunderland and Huddersfield Town.

Here are some of your comments:

David: Dreadful performance overall and a poor example for the rest of the squad. Winning is infectious - losing also. We have too many poor players.

Alan: This manager changes entire teams from one day to the next! Recipe for failure in the greatest league in the world. The Premier League will take us apart by trying to play untried teams in each game and then changing again.

Nigel: Poor first half. Much better second without too much cutting edge. Well done to Huddersfield, they played well and defended resolutely. The result shows the recruitment was much needed in the summer as this group of largely last year's team are too lightweight. Some bright spots but don't see too many kicking the first team door down. Disappointed our on-loan number nine didn't take a penalty.

Jennifer: They are slipping back into their old ways. They have to make shots on goal count. They definitely need a striker for the team or they will be going back down to the Championship again.

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Defender Daniel Ballard is set to miss Northern Ireland’s World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Germany next month through injury.

The 25-year-old was forced off during the first half of Sunderland’s 2-0 defeat against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.

Speaking after the Black Cats’ Carabao Cup loss against Huddersfield on Tuesday, their boss Regis Le Bris said while the concern was not "long-term", Ballard does face a spell on the sidelines.

"It's not too serious so we expect him to be out for two to three weeks," he told the club’s website.

Northern Ireland are away to Luxembourg on 4 September and face Germany in Cologne three days later.

Michael O’Neill is already without first-choice goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who pulled out of the squad after injuring his shoulder when in action for Sheffield Wednesday.

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Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris, speaking after the Black Cats were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Huddersfield Town:

"I am disappointed because we wanted to win.

"Huddersfield played with passion, and they scored a fantastic goal in the first half.

"We were not at our best in the first half and struggled to find our rhythm, but the second half was much better.

"It wasn't enough to win the game, but we gave many players valuable minutes, so it is a positive for the future.

"It is important for our strikers to score, and tonight Marc [Guiu] got his first for the club.

"That gives him confidence and some key references he will need to build on with his team-mates. It is a good step for him.

"Nordi [Mukiele] and Arthur [Masuaku] brought good energy to their game.

"They haven't played much during pre-season for various reasons, so it was like their first pre-season match. Now they will be ready for Premier League action."

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

What did you make of Sunderland's performance?

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris has made a whole host of changes after the defeat to Burnley over the weekend, with Chelsea loanee Marc Guiu making his first start for the club.

Sunderland XI: Patterson, Huggins, Mukiele, Masuaki, Jones, Neil, Rigg, Le Fee, Roberts, Isidor, Guiu

Subs: Moore, Seelt, Abdullahi, Aleksic, Jenson Jones, Jaydon Jones, Whittaker, Middlemas, Tutierov

Huddersfield, meanwhile, have also made plenty of changes after their weekend win over Stevenage in League One.

Huddersfield XI: Nicholls, Gooch, Whatmough, Wallace, Roughan, Kasumu, Castledine, Vost, Ashia, Taylor, Charles

Subs: Goodman, Sørensen, Wiles, Harness, Balker, Kane, Feeney, Radulovic, Sway.

There are five games involving Premier League sides in the Carabao Cup second round on Tuesday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Wolves v West Ham (19:30)

• Burnley v Derby County

• Sunderland v Huddersfield Town

• Bournemouth v Brentford - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3

• Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds United (20:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 19:45 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Gavin Henderson
Fan writer

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I was one of the many Sunderland supporters that felt we'd go to Turf Moor and get something, particularly in the wake of such an emphatic victory over West Ham on the opening day of the Premier League season. But what we got was a reminder of just how difficult, unforgiving and unpredictable this division really is.

Sunderland started the better of the two sides, and just minutes into the game Eliezer Mayenda spurned a fantastic chance from five yards out after Dan Ballard nodded the ball across the box. It was at that moment when it all started to go pear shaped.

We were still the better team in the opening 45 minutes and there were other chances. But missing such a simple chance to take the lead and then losing a massively important player in Ballard to injury had a defining impact on the game. In the Premier League, you cannot afford to miss simple chances because the teams at this level have the quality to make you pay, which is exactly what we did to West Ham last week.

There are no sour grapes here - Burnley fully deserved their win. They scored two fantastic goals with a bit of quality in both that caught Sunderland off guard, and they defended just like they did last season when they had the meanest defence that the EFL has ever seen.

In truth, I think we've possibly played Burnley away at the worst possible time. This was their big return to the Premier League at Turf Moor, and with a sold out crowd eager to see them turn up and put on a performance, they did just that. It's entirely possible that in a month or so, their home performances won't quite have the same intensity, but there's nothing Sunderland can do about that and it's certainly not an excuse. The best team won on the day, and as an individual you pretty much have two choices when it comes to how you react.

Option one, you throw all of your toys out the pram in an insane hissy-fit and point the finger of blame in every possible direction. Option two, you remind yourself that, unfortunately, we are going to lose a lot of games of football this season and that you just have to move on as quickly as possible.

I know which camp I'm in. Bring on Brentford!

Find more from Gavin Henderson at Roker Report, external

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Sunderland assistant head coach Luciano Vulcano has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Carabao Cup second-round tie against League One Huddersfield Town at the Stadium of Light (19:45 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Valcano gave an update on the fitness of defender Dan Ballard who was substituted early in Saturday's defeat at Burnley: "He is having a scan today - we will know more information about it in the next few hours. We all hope he will only be out for a short time because we need all the players."

• On potential rotation in the Carabao Cup: "We respect every match so tomorrow will be a good starting XI. Regis is thinking about these things but we will respect the cup. Maybe some players will have some chances but we will see."

• Vulcano emphasised how seriously the Black Cats will take the cup competitions: "Every match is an opportunity to show our style of play, our commitment to the badge for our fans. We want to go to the next chapter in this cup."

• Asked how did his appointment as Regis le Bris' assistant came about, Vulcano said: "We were in touch last season but the timing was not the best because I was moving to Saudi Arabia. When there was the possibility over this summer, I had two or three possibilities to join clubs as an assistant or head coach. I felt the trust from Regis and the leadership group. It was easy for to choose Sunderland because it felt right."

• On Le Bris: "It's really good because he gives you the calm to face any challenge. If you are too much under pressure you face the challenge in a poor way. He's really good in sharing these feelings and we are trying, every one of us, to be like him. I am learning. He is really welcoming because I can go in his office any moment. His side of being open is really important for me."

Follow all the rest of Monday's football news

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Sunderland need to be more clinical if they are to keep up with "the standards of the Premier League", says Black Cats midfielder Noah Sadiki, after his side lost 2-0 away to Burnley on Saturday.

"Losing is never a fun part of football," Sadiki told BBC Radio Newcastle post-match at Turf Moor.

"But I think we have a chance to lift it up against Huddersfield and Brentford. Nothing is done - we are not relegated and we are not champions. It's a loss and we can learn from it.

"It might have been a different story [had Eliezer Mayenda and Chemsdine Talbi taken their chances], but if you don't score, you don't win - it's as simple as that. We didn't finish and we weren't clinical, but you can't blame them.

"For the next game, we need to be clinical if we want to win - that's the standards in the Premier League."

When asked how he was finding the step up from the Championship, Sadiki added: "It's a higher level than where I was. I'm happy to be here but I also want to show that I'm here. I'm not here to just hang around - I want to win as many games as possible.

"I'm happy to be here but that's not all I want."

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

Here are some of your comments:

Burnley fans

Graham: Burnley played much better football in last week's defeat but showed the resilience required to survive in the Premier League. Two excellent goals displayed our resolve, and emphasised that we can make Turf Moor a fortress. That there are players still to come into the team and contribute makes me optimistic.

Reg: Burnley got away with one... defending was below Premier League standard, especially in the first half.

Gareth: Huge result that should give us some confidence for the tough-looking fixtures to come. Excellent game management after we got the first goal, showing organisation and resilience that was horribly lacking in our last season at this level. Promising signs.

Sunderland fans

Jeff: Sunderland always flatter to deceive - maybe it was the 'unknown' factor with the Hammers, but Burnley know how to beat us.

Clive: I thought beforehand this would be a trickier test than last week. Losing Ballard early on didn't help. Huff and puff seemed to be the display.

John: Last week, everything clicked. This week, nothing clicked.

Pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Sautrday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Brentford 1-0 Aston Villa

• Burnley 2-0 Sunderland

• Arsenal 5-0 Leeds

Sam Drury
BBC Sport journalist

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After eight years away from the top flight, no one could begrudge Sunderland revelling in their 3-0 victory over West Ham on their Premier League return.

A week on, though, and it is back down to earth with a bump.

While there was the odd moment, the new signings that shone so brightly on the opening day were unable to repeat that display at Turf Moor.

It might have been different had Eliezer Mayenda converted a brilliant chance in the opening four minutes but once that was squandered it quickly became a difficult day for Regis Le Bris' side.

Losing Dan Ballard was a big blow and they will hope the injury to big centre-back is not a serious one.

Even after that, they created a good chance for Chemsdine Talbi but that came in the 14th minute and the concern will be that they did not so much as muster another shot from inside the area until the 81st minute - and no further real chances.

Just two games in and with three points on the board, there is quite clearly no reason to panic but after the bold predictions that followed the victory last week, this was a stark reminder of the harsh reality that lies ahead.

Missed chances will be punished and home form will be crucial.

Regis Le Bris spoke to BBC Sport after Sunderland's defeat against Burnley: "We started well, our first half was good. We created two big chances but didn't score. In this game it was really important to get the first goal because it changes everything.

"It is still work in progress because we have a new team and new squad. It is a long process, you need to learn from different experiences. Let's move on.

"We were not strong enough, it is simple to say that - just work more. It will be a different challenge next week.

"We need time. You cannot create strong connections, especially in tight spaces, just after two or three weeks. It is not possible.

"We want to learn quickly, we want to win. We know what went wrong today."

Did you know?

Having been subbed off in the 63rd minute and recording just one pass in his time on the field, Sunderland's Eliezer Mayenda become only the third player on Opta's records (from 2003-04) to play 60+ minutes of a Premier League match and make no more than one pass, after Hameur Bouazza for Watford v Wigan in September 2006, and Brennan Johnson for Nottingham Forest v Brighton in October 2022.

Listen to Le Bris' chat with BBC Radio Newcastle here

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Burnley's performance

What did you make of Sunderland's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Scott Parker makes two changes to the Burnley side beaten 3-0 at Tottenham last Saturday.

Jacob Bruun Larsen and Lesley Oguchukwu, who makes his first competitive start for the Clarets, come in with the displaced Oliver Sonne and Josh Laurent among the substitutes.

Burnley XI: Dubravka, Walker, Esteve, Ekdal, Hartman, Bruun Larsen, Cullen, Ugochukwu, Hannibal, Anthony, Foster.

Subs: Weiss, Worrall, Edwards, Tchaouna, Flemming, Ramsey, Sonne, Pires, Laurent.

Centre-back Omar Alderete comes in for his full Premier League debut as Regis Le Bris makes just one change to the Sunderland XI that started last weekend's 3-0 win over West Ham.

Jenson Seelt, who was replaced by Alderete early in the second half last week, drops to the bench.

Sunderland XI: Roefs, Hume, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo, Xhaka, Sadiki, Diarra, Talbi, Adringra, Mayenda.

Subs: Patterson, Neil, Guiu, Roberts, Rigg, Isidor, Seelt, Masuaku, Le Fee.

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Manchester City v Tottenham (12:30)

• Bournemouth v Wolves

• Brentford v Aston Villa - BBC Radio 5 Live

• Burnley v Sunderland - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Arsenal v Leeds (17:30) - BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

I wrote Sunderland off months ago at the end of last season, but they surprised me last week with a hell of a win against West Ham.

Those two headers from Eliezer Mayenda and Dan Ballard were absolutely brilliant and they deserved their victory.

Burnley had their moments against Tottenham but they didn't take them. They will need to get a foothold in this season sooner rather than later.

This one stinks of a draw. I think it'll be close and Burnley will want more, but Sunderland will be satisfied with their start.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

The first meeting between newly promoted sides takes place this weekend with Burnley and Sunderland experiencing contrasting fortunes during the first round of matches.

Burnley's impressive 100-point promotion campaign was largely underpinned by two key principles – a near-perfect home record and a watertight defence.

The Clarets conceded just 16 goals in 46 Championship games last term but shipped three in an afternoon on their Premier League return last Saturday. Scott Parker's side performed admirably at Tottenham despite the defeat, and the 3-0 scoreline perhaps flattered their hosts.

A return to Lancashire provides a fresh opportunity for Burnley to open their Premier League account and they were unbeaten on home soil last season, with 14 wins and nine draws from their 23 matches at Turf Moor in 2024-25.

Burnley's first home match of 2024-25 was a 5-0 thrashing of Cardiff City, and although a similar result would be welcomed by all connected to the club, it doesn't appear likely. The team were wasteful in north London on Saturday and failed to take any of the 12 chances they created.

Fan favourite Ashley Barnes was not involved at Spurs but the 35-year-old is the top Premier League scorer in the squad with a respectable 42 goals.

He is also their only current player to reach double figures in the division. The next nearest to his total are Armando Broja and Kyle Walker with eight apiece. Last season's 18-goal top scorer Josh Brownhill has also departed the club and so the simple question remains: where are Burnley's goals going to come from?

Finding the net was not a problem for Sunderland on the opening day as they put three unanswered goals past West Ham at a pulsating Stadium of Light.

It was their first victory in the opening month of a top-flight campaign for 15 years and although the club have made 12 signings, Saturday's three scorers all featured heavily in last season's promotion campaign, a fact that head coach Regis le Bris was quick to recognise.

"They showed they can step up today," he said after the match. "They are really important because they keep the identity of the club and the way we worked last season."

The Black Cats could now win their opening two matches of a top-flight season for the first time since 1980-81. They avoided relegation on the final day of that campaign 44 years ago, and three points here would provide a big boost to their chances of survival before the summer is even over.

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Burnley at Turf Moor (kick-off 15:00 BST).

You can listen to Le Bris speak to BBC Radio Newcastle's Nick Barnes here.

And here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Le Bris confirmed there were no injury concerns for the visit to Turf Moor.

• He stated that the squad has had a great connection from the beginning, especially from "a human perspective as well as football perspective".

• On pursuing more defenders: "I think we need competition to be consistent in this league and we need the competition for the squad. Also for the position as well, because of injuries and suspension, but also because of the different style of play we will have to face."

• The Black Cats boss said that "we will see" if there are any more signings made before the end of the transfer window.

• On potential sales: "The flow of this transfer window is always a bit weird; sometimes it is very slow, but probably next week, many movements will appear. We will have options, so we will see. I hope so (on moving players on)."

• Le Bris also reiterated that they "want to reinforce the squad if it makes sense". There is still a possibility of bringing in another defender but it "needs to be the right profile."

• On Dan Ballard: "I am not surprised by his performance because he showed it in the play-offs. The main challenge for him is to repeat week after week, and it is always the main problem. We have many talented players but the main challenge will be the ability to repeat."

• On Burnley: "They enjoyed a really strong season last year, really consistent, hard to beat, they conceded few goals and they were always well organised. I don't think it'll be different and they still have many threats to score goals. It'll be difficult because they changed their system, but at the same time, we will have a different team with players who played last season but new players as well, so it is always a new story."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news