Sunderland made it five wins from six in the Championship this season with a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light.
Here’s Phil’s key Sunderland talking points, and some of the interesting moments you may have missed…
A TIGHT GAME BUT A WIN SUNDERLAND DESERVED
Michael Carrick said afterwards that it was a tight game he felt his side had just about edged. The statistics bear that out to an extent, with Middlesbrough dominating possession and producing a slightly higher expected goals and shot count (1.28 v 1.17 and 12 v 9 according to stats side fotmob). That doesn’t quite tell the story of the game, though. The first half was undoubtedly a very tight and tense game that could have gone either way. Both teams looked most dangerous on the breaks and often traded attacks within minutes of each other, looking quickly to exploit the rare moments space opened up on the pitch. The speed with which Middlesbrough were able to break behind Sunderland’s midfield when Le Bris’ side pushed upfield more than justified the head coach’s decision to sit a little deeper and press closer to their own goal, though in truth this was only a minor departure to what we have seen for most of this season. The visitors should probably have scored in the first half, Tommy Conway missing a free header inside the opening ten minutes and Emmanuel Latte Lath missed a 1-v-1 just before the interval (albeit directly after a move in which Romaine Mundle should probably have had a penalty).
But Sunderland’s win was deserved for the control they exerted, often without the ball, throughout the second half. The statistics reflect that. Of that 1.28 XG that Middlesbrough produced throughout the game, only 0.36 of that was registered after the break with the onus on them to chase the game. They managed only two shots from inside Sunderland’s box throughout the entire second half, and did not force a single save from Anthony Patterson. It was a superb defensive performance from Le Bris’ side and all the more impressive given what had happened at Home Park a week previous. The head coach said it was down to better ’emotional control’ from his players, allowing them to make better decisions in possession. Part of that was being back on home turf with their own fans behind them, but it’s very encouraging to see this young group so quickly learn lessons from their defeat. It wasn’t a game Sunderland dominated or an emphatic win by any stretch, but it’s also clear that the visitors did nowhere near enough in the second half to open the hosts up – who themselves remained a threat on the break.
JOBE BELLINGHAM HAS GONE TO ANOTHER LEVEL
Chris Rigg’s audacious finish meant he understandably took the headlines and the man of the match award, a decision few would quibble with. He’s a rising star on his way to the very top. It can be easy all the same to forget that his midfield partner is just one year older than him, and Jobe Bellingham’s dominant display was every bit as key to the win. He was physically completely on top in the midfield battle, and played some good passes that would have led to an assist on another day. Rigg’s arrival in the team has seen Bellingham shift into a more traditional box-to-box role, and it’s one he is absolutely thriving in. You start to think that we might one day look back and scarcely believe we watched this midfield trio playing together at this level.
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DAN BALLARD MAY BE FACING A LONGER SPELL ON THE BENCH
Sunderland were handed a big boost this week when assessments showed that Dan Ballard had not suffered a serious ankle injury as first feared at Plymouth. But with the swelling meaning he wasn’t able to train during the week, Le Bris decided to go instead with Chris Mepham. The Welshman showed all his experience to produce a hugely composed display, always putting himself in the right place to snuff out danger with little risk. Ballard came off the bench late on to make one big challenge inside his own box, and it’s a very healthy sign for Sunderland that they now have three excellent central defenders. Ballard will be back in the team before long but there is surely no way Le Bris can ask Mepham to sit out at Vicarage Road following this showing?
And the moments you might have missed…
THE MEETINGS THAT GOT SUNDERLAND BACK ON TRACK
In their post-match media commitments, Le Bris and Luke O’Nien outlined how a week of behind-the-scenes work had put Sunderland in a place to bounce back from their defeat to Plymouth Argyle. Interestingly, the attention only turned to Middlesbrough specifically in the very last stages of the week. Instead, the team held a number of meetings and video analysis sessions to reiterate the principles of their philosophy and how they want to play. Le Bris clearly felt his team had gone away from those foundations in the second half at Plymouth and wanted to reiterate the importance of the team structure in particular. He said the response of his players had given him a ‘good feeling’ ahead of the game, and his quiet confidence was in the end more than justified.
RIGG’S GOAL PREDICTION AND CLEAR TARGET
Speaking afterwards, Rigg said that he’d told his team mates beforehand that he’d had a feeling he would score. Whether he imagined scoring with a backheel is another matter entirely, but the 17-year-old said increasing his goal contributions is a big goal of his in the weeks and months ahead. Both he and Jobe have had outstanding starts to the season and if they can start finding the back of the net regularly, the Black Cats will be in a very good place indeed.
IAN POVEDA’S INJURY FRUSTRATION CONTINUES
It was a day of very few negatives for Sunderland but the absence of Ian Poveda was undoubtedly one. The winger picked up a thigh niggle during an U21s game around ten days ago and though it’s not thought to be serious it has prevented his Sunderland career from really getting going. He’s expected to be back imminently and it’s a long season with plenty of games left for him to contribute, but his struggle to get up to speed is leaving Le Bris without too many options to really change a game from the bench.
CARRICK’S RED CARD FRUSTRATION
This has become a fixture in which red card decisions have become a defining feature in recent seasons. From Dan Neil’s controversial second yellow for dissent last year to Dael Fry’s red the season previous, the referee has had a central role. And Michael Carrick made clear afterwards that he felt Trai Hume should have been sent off for a forceful challenge on Emmanuel Latte Lath, with referee Simon Hooper instead opting to show a yellow. It was undoubtedly a big moment in the game, as was Hooper’s decision not to award a penalty on the stroke of half time when Romaine Mundle went down in the box after a challenge from Luke Ayling.
The yellow moves Hume one away from a suspension and while that would not be ideal given the lack of right-back cover in the squad, Chris Mepham’s debut means the head coach could shift Luke O’Nien out there if needed and still retain a strong looking back four.
