Sunderland

Nick Barnes
BBC Radio Newcastle commentator

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I think it is fair to say Sunderland have defied all expectations when it comes to their summer recruitment.

Not only in terms of the money spent but in the number of players signed.

Unquestionably fans instinctively knew Sunderland's squad from the Championship needed strengthening for the Premier League campaign.

Five or six players with Premier League experience would conservatively have been a lot of people's estimation, but as to how much they would cost and whether that would be enough was always going to be the big question.

No-one really knew how much owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus would be prepared to spend with his model of sustainability at the forefront of everything the club has done in his tenure.

He and his team have blown everyone away with the money spent but also with the quality of the players signed.

Granit Xhaka is the standout example, but he's not the only one. Habib Diarra, Omar Alderete, Noah Sadiki, Simon Adingra, the list goes on.

The defeat of West Ham, albeit only one game, suggested all these players are comfortable in their Premier League skin.

The bonus was their three goals were scored by three players who came up with the team from the Championship.

It's a bold and ambitious bid to stay up but Sunderland fans are certainly backing them to do so.

How does it compare to other promoted clubs?

According to transfermarkt,, external Sunderland now top the all-time list for amount spent by a promoted club in the Premier League.

With a summer spend of £142m so far, both them, and fellow promoted side Burnley - who have spent £109m - are hoping for a solid return on their investment.

As far as the numbers go, the other four teams to have spent big upon their Premier League return have had mixed results.

Both Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest narrowly avoided the drop after busy summer windows following promotion, but are now playing in Europe.

However, last summer saw Southampton an Ipswich finish as the bottom two sides in the league.

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Former striker Marco Gabbiadini believes Sunderland's new signings give the club a good chance of staying in the Premier League.

Speaking after their 3-0 win over West Ham, Gabbiadini said: "I'm not getting carried away but you've got to enjoy the moment.

"The fans have really bought in to what's going on this year and they actually believe that the club has had a really good go, they've spent the money and brought in players that give us a good chance of staying up.

"There's going to be a lot of competition [for places], and that's only a good thing for the fans. These are players that are coming in who are proper players and we won't have to suck it and see with these players, they are proven."

Nordi Mukiele became the 12th player to join the club this summer earlier this week.

The Black Cats summer spending currently stands at around £141.5m with over a week of the window remaining, and Gabbiadini feels that the squad depth will only help the manager.

"There's going to be games this season where we come up against the top sides and it isn't going to be a battle," he added.

"It isn't going to be about winning tussles or winning headers, because they won't move the ball off the ground and that might mean different type of games suits different types of players.

"These games, the West Hams, Burnleys and Brentfords, are huge games for us as these are the ones in theory that we have more chance of winning."

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Football Finance Writer Chris Weatherspoon says Sunderland "benefited" financially from playing League One football in four of the eight seasons since their relegation from the Premier League in 2017.

The Black Cats suffered consecutive relegations and spent four campaigns in the third tier before promotion back to the Championship in 2022.

After promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs last season the club have already spent £141.5m and are exploring a move for Leicester's Abdul Fatawu which would move them above Nottingham Forest's £142m spend in the summer of 2022 - a British record for a promoted club..

"The team that started the play-off final cost less than £10m to assemble and Rhian Brewster on the other side cost double that," said Weatherspoon.

"They got promoted pretty cheaply and that is why there has been surprise at how much they've spent this summer. I didn't expect them to spend this much.

"The owners hadn't spent a lot of money - there was one deal prior to them getting promoted which was over £3m and even that wasn't clear. In terms of the rules, that has given them the space to spend.

"Despite being out of the Premier League for eight years they've benefited from being in League One for four of them because they lost less money than they would have done from Championship wages. They haven't built up the level of loss that other clubs have from being in the Championship for a long time.

"With the broadcasting revenue, even if they were to finish bottom this season they would make around £110m.

"They have taken a bit of a measured gamble. They have spent big on three experienced players but the bulk of money they have spent this summer is on players under the age of 24.

"The measured gamble here is if they were to get relegated they are banking on being able to sell these players for good money next summer."

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Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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The game I attended was at Sunderland where West Ham arrived to show the newcomers what the Premier League was all about. The Black Cats were singularly unimpressed, Graham Potter's side looked as lumpen and leggy as the opposition look sprightly and energetic.

Sunderland coach Regis Le Bris fielded seven debutants from the start and his team were anything but shy and nervous on their first outing. Take out the wily Granit Xhaka and the remaining five midfielders and attackers in red and white had an average age of less than 21. Only Simon Adingra had ever played in the Premier League before.

They still out-ran and out-thought West Ham. The 21-year-old Habib Diarra caught the eye with his unstoppable runs from deep in midfield but it felt like two different generations playing against each other; not to put too fine a point on it, many of the West Ham players looked old in comparison, a phrase every footballer hates to hear.

Sunderland are better than I thought but even with a 3-0 opening win and the excitement around the packed stadium there is a concern. Somewhere in amongst the wild enthusiasm they know that there might just a be a fragility to the team that could be crushed by bigger and better sides than the Hammers.

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Gavin Henderson
Fan writer

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What a feeling. What an unbelievable feeling. It took us just over 3000 days to get back to the Premier League, and on Saturday it felt like Sunderland Association Football Club could finally let out a big, audible sigh of relief — we're back, and we don't plan on going anywhere.

We did ourselves proud. The fans were amazing and cheered every tackle and kick. The club put on a show as the world's media clapped eyes on us for the first time in years, and boy did they deliver. The players on the pitch, no matter how long they've been a Sunderland player, knew and understood just how much this occasion meant to the fans and ensured they left nothing on the pitch. And our coach, Regis le Bris, enacted the perfect gameplan. His side were organised and well-coached, and the elements of what made us special last season were still present despite the fact only three players from last year's side remained in that starting 11.

As kick-off approached and the tifo of the Lambton Worm was unfurled, I sensed that it was going to be our day. It just felt like, no matter what West Ham planned to do to us, we'd find a way to combat it. I felt that way when we played Coventry too, and it's not often in my life as a Sunderland supporter that I've felt those feelings, so when you do feel them you should trust your gut. We really earned that victory.

Despite the sheer amount of upheaval it seems poignant that the three players that scored the goals were lads who had such a massive part to play in our promotion. For the first, Eliezer Mayenda perfectly placed his header into Mads Hermansen's bottom corner; for the second, Dan Ballard did what he always does, and almost ripped a hole in the net with his nodded effort; and then for the third, Wilson Isidor cut inside and bent the ball around the goalie in trademark style to finish things off in style.

This, to me, is key. Despite the huge changes, the club must still ensure the talented lads that got us this far have a massive part to play, and providing they come up with the goods, they absolutely do.

We honestly could not have wished for a better start, and I'm so proud of everyone connected with the football club. Enjoy it - drink it in.

Find more from Gavin Henderson at Roker Report, external

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Enzo le Fee spoke to BBC Radio Newcastle after Sunderland's opening victory over West Ham: "It is really good to start with three points at home, but it is only three points - we know we need more.

"I am ready. Even if I only had two minutes, I am ready to help the team. Everybody has to have this mindset because it is never just a first xi that finishes a season. Everyone wants to start, and hopefully he [Regis le Bris] trusts me for this season. I have to do the job for him and the club.

"It was a really good atmosphere, it was looking like the play-off game against Coventry. If we can have this every time we are at home it will be incredible. I know the fans will be behind us and it's really important."

• Listen to Le Fee on BBC Sounds

Steven Wyeth
Final score reporter

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Sunderland deservedly received huge credit for the second-half performance that swept aside West Ham on their Premier League return. However, an assured, resilient and mature opening 45 minutes should not be overlooked.

The rumbustious atmosphere, after eight turbulent years away from the top flight, might have resulted in a cavalier reaction, favouring a more experienced opponent.

Instead, Sunderland's players kept their emotions in check, stuck to Regis le Bris' well-constructed gameplan and neutralised West Ham's only period of superiority. That ability to channel the Stadium of Light's joyous enthusiasm laid the foundation for victory.

Meanwhile, one player's misfortune might have inadvertently been a significant contributing factor to the Black Cats' victorious day. Jenson Seelt had more reason than most to relish the occasion, starting a competitive game for the first time since a knee injury in March of last year.

However, it was a return that lasted just 53 minutes, the unlucky Dutch defender landing heavily after a towering defensive header. It was a sliding doors moment because his replacement, debutant Omar Alderete, was the player to finally expose the weakness identified in the Hammers' defence.

Eight minutes after his introduction Alderete delivered the cross from which Eliezer Mayenda scored the opening goal and from that moment there was an inevitable feel about Sunderland getting three points.

Sunderland and Burnley are both interested in Copenhagen's Brazilian centre-back Gabriel Pereira, 25. (Teamtalk), external

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

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

Here are some of your comments:

Sunderland fans

Colin: Outstanding performance by the lads in red and white. We needed to start on the front foot and boy did we do that. Great win and hoping to build on that.

Terry: The performance and the goals were just brilliant. You could see what it meant to the fans and the players by the pure passion displayed by every one in the stadium. I would have LOVED to have been there! Liked the comment by the commentator likening Dan Ballard's goal to Niall Quinn!

David: A truly emotional and memorable return to the Premier League for the club and fans, with hugely encouraging performances from all of the debutants resulting in an important win. A long way to go, of course, but on this evidence there could be a lot of people outside of Wearside eating humble pie come the end of the season.

Tom: It's an incredible time to be a Sunderland supporter. I'm very pleased to see the three goalscorers were players who got the club where they are now.

Russell: I've followed Sunderland since the 1973 cup final and this season is the most confident I've been about a good start for a long, long time.

Craig: Championship play-off semis: Sunderland won't win. Final: they won't win. Get promoted: Sunderland are coming straight back down. Proving the naysayers wrong is what we what we love to do! More please.

West Ham fans

Tom: If you have a bad season, look at what was wrong and fix it. Or, in our case, just ignore it and hope for the best. This result was as inevitable. Either Potter is a poor manager or he's just being handcuffed by poor owners. It's going to be VERY hard to find three worse teams than us this season. I don't think there are.

Michael: Trouble is with our midfield - there's no energy or bite in there. To be honest, if they could shake it up between now and when the window shuts, we'd be OK. Probably need to offload four or five players and get in four or five younger and hungrier ones.

Derek: For 60 minutes we looked OK and were really troubling Sunderland. Then, like a deck of cards, we folded. I have to question Freddie Potts not starting after playing every pre-season game. Our midfield must be the slowest in the league. This needs addressing asap and we also badly need a striker.

Adrian: Same old, same old. Don't look fit enough, don't look hungry enough. Might as well keep Potter's post-match interview and play it each week. Fans deserve better.

Colin: First half was fair - the rest of the game West Ham were rubbish. Last season all over again. It's a shame for the fans becaiuse we expected more from Potter and the squad.

Rob: We've started where we finished off last season. Can't say I expected anything else when a club I've supported for over 50 years doesn't back the manager with top-class signings that never happen year in, year out. Yet another stressful season for us Hammers fans!

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

Last season, we had to wait until 5 October for any of the three promoted clubs - Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton - to get their first victory.

Recent history suggests a fast start is crucial for promoted top-flight sides. In the past 10 seasons, all 12 promoted clubs who have accrued 11 points or more in their opening 10 games have avoided relegation.

By contrast, only two of the 18 teams with 10 or fewer points after the same number of matches have stayed up.

Burnley were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Thomas Frank's Tottenham on Saturday afternoon, while Leeds - who welcome Everton to Elland Road on Monday - have their work cut out to match Sunderland's memorable opening-day triumph.

With games coming up against the newly promoted Clarets, and a Brentford side in transition following Frank's departure, Le Bris and his players will fancy their chances of building on their phenomenal start.

Former England international - and Sunderland fan - Steph Houghton told Final Score: "We've got to look to go to Burnley and try and win the game. We'll definitely be going into the match full of confidence.

"Le Bris has built a young squad with lots of pace, especially in forward areas. When you create those chances you have to take them and that's exactly what they did.

"The Sunderland fans always make plenty of noise and hopefully they can make Turf Moor feel like the Stadium of Light next weekend."

Ex-England striker Wayne Rooney told BBC Match of the Day: "The signs are excellent. They played a lot of debutants but the organisation was very similar to how they played last season. There was a lot of energy about Sunderland.

"We saw last season the promoted teams coming up, trying to play and be expansive - and you can't do that. Sunderland showed you can get results if you are organised, work hard and stay together as a team."

Former Sunderland defender Gary Bennett told BBC Radio Newcastle: "We have to remember the giant strides we have made.

"The big question was, after signing all those players: would they gel together as a team? Today they answered that question."

• Hear more from Bennett and listen to the full-time scenes at the Stadium of Light

• And listen to midfielder Enzo le Fee talking to BBC Radio Newcastle

Pundits Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's opening Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

• Tottenham 3-0 Burnley

• Wolves 0-4 Manchester City

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

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Sunderland have bolstered their ranks with 11 new signings this summer, but their ability to keep their heads above water will depend largely on how well manager Regis Le Bris manages to mould his new recruits into a coherent unit.

The Frenchman could not have asked for a much better start on Saturday as his team defended diligently in the first half before a clinical second-half display secured an eye-catching victory over West Ham.

The experience and tenacity of former Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen captain Granit Xhaka is likely to be crucial this season, but the Black Cats' other new recruits also impressed against the Hammers, with Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki looking capable of forming a potent midfield alongside the veteran Swiss international.

Diarra perhaps should have given the home side an early lead after running on to Eliezer Mayenda's eye-of-the-needle pass, his shot striking Mads Hermansen and sailing over the crossbar for a corner, which came to nothing.

Sunderland fans may have been forgiven for wondering whether that missed opportunity would come back to haunt them, but they needn't have worried.

Summer signing Omar Alderete, who only entered the fray after Jenson Seelt had been forced off with a back injury, delivered a perfect cross for Mayenda to break the deadlock, and the Black Cats retained a firm grip on proceedings after that.

Remarkably, this was Sunderland's first Premier League win in August or September since 2012 - four seasons before they were relegated to the Championship - while their last victory in the opening month of a top-flight campaign was a 1-0 success over Manchester City in August 2010.

With games against fellow promoted side Burnley and Brentford coming up, Le Bris' team may fancy their chances of building on this impressive start.

• Listen to Sunderland boss Regis le Bris speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle

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• In Eliezer Mayenda, Dan Ballard and Wilson Isidor, Sunderland are the first team to have three players score on their Premier League debut in the same match since Reading against Middlesborough in August 2006 (Dave Kitson, Steve Sidwell and Leroy Lita).

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

Have your say on Sunderland's performance

What did you make of West Ham's display?

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

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris hands Premier League debuts to seven summer signings, as Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, Reinildo Mandova, Chemsdine Talbi, Simon Adingra and goalkeeper Robin Roefs all starting.

Fellow new arrivals Enzo Le Fee, Marc Guiu, Omar Alderete are on the bench, but former Hammers defender Arthur Masuaku is not in the matchday squad.

Sunderland XI: Roefs, Hume, Seelt, Ballard, Reinaldo, Sadiki, Xhaka, Diarra, Talbi, Mayenda, Adingra

Subs: Patterson, Neil, Guiu, Roberts, Rigg, Alderete, Isidor, Le Fee, Jones

West Ham manager Graham Potter hands former Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen his Hammers debut, with Alphonse Areola having to settle for a place on the bench.

El Hadji Malick Diouf also starts, while Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson are named among the substitutes.

West Ham XI: Hermansen, Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd, Wan-Bissaka, Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse, Diouf, Bowen, Paqueta, Fullkrug

Subs: Areola, Walker-Peters, Alvarez, Wilson, Mavropanos, Soucek, Scarles, Potts, Irving

Five matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Aston Villa v Newcastle (12:30)

• Brighton v Fulham

• Sunderland v West Ham - BBC Radio 5 Live

• Tottenham v Burnley - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Wolves v Manchester City (17:30) - BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Sunderland have made so many changes that they are unrecognisable from the team that won promotion last season.

I love their ambition but I'm not sure it will keep them up. A good start is vital to the promoted teams - and how quickly will they gel?

There are question marks over West Ham too. They were feeble at times under Graham Potter after he took charge halfway through last season and, while he could argue that wasn't his team, he cannot have the same excuse now.

This is a big season for Potter and I think it will start well. West Ham have got enough nous to deal with the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light and leave with three points.

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here