A large level.
A personality-building level. The type of level (and refusal to crumble beneath immense Arsenal stress) that claims “Sure. We’re right here. We imply enterprise and we wish to make our mark on this league”.
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When Brian Brobbey acrobatically hooked the ball previous David Raya deep into harm time on Saturday night, guaranteeing Sunderland took a share of the spoils from a sport that was by turns full-blooded, thrilling and irritating, it represented the most recent step on a journey for which we’ve all bought a entrance seat — one which kicked into the next gear towards Coventry Metropolis, was turbocharged at Wembley, and is now persevering with to assemble pace at a formidable fee.
On the face of it, maybe there was a hint of frustration on the consequence, not least as a result of for a lot of this sport, we greater than matched Arsenal, significantly bodily, and had taken a deserved lead through an outstanding purpose from the monstrous, the colossal and the all-conquering Dan Ballard.
May which have been the springboard for a victory? Presumably, however when Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard hauled the guests in entrance and seemingly set them on the right track for a key victory, the dynamic shifted once more.
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At 1-2 right down to a facet of such high quality, your selection is straightforward: fold or battle. Fortunately, the Lads selected the latter and Brobbey’s winner — the most recent addition to a rising spotlight reel of late Sunderland targets — despatched the Stadium of Mild into raptures as darkness enveloped a packed home and people in pink and white might rejoice one other well-known end result.
Make no mistake: this was a superb sport to observe; a compelling, riveting affair that proved why the Premier League is the place to be, and though Arsenal’s soccer bordered on the chic at occasions, they didn’t rip by means of us at will and shorn of the likes of Viktor Gyökeres and Martin Ødegaard, they often seemed merely sensational versus world-beating — a problem we would have liked to embrace moderately than draw back from.
As all of us knew, Arsenal’s defensive document coming into this sport was formidable, however beneath Régis Le Bris, Sunderland aren’t any respecters of custom and by sending the Gunners again right down to North London with their clear sheet document vanquished and two factors dropped, we despatched a message of our personal: “Need to take something from a sport on Wearside? Be ready for one hell of a battle”.
As you’d count on, all of our massive weapons got here to the celebration on Saturday evening.
Granit Xhaka led the cost towards his former facet; Reinildo turned in a usually highly effective show at left again, and Ballard performed like a person possessed towards the membership from whom we signed him again in 2022. One late, late block was for the ages however apart from his purpose, he was a towering presence on the again and now that he appears to have shaken off his harm considerations, he’s certainly enjoying the perfect and most dominant soccer of his profession.
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As Le Bris hinted at throughout his pre-match press convention, there have been intervals throughout this sport during which we needed to undergo, occasions throughout which self-discipline was key and resilience the watchword.
Saka’s purpose was a tad irritating and maybe Trossard might’ve been proven down the left versus being allowed to chop inside onto his proper foot, however they’re an elite facet with world class gamers. Generally groups of this ilk discover a approach and it’s as much as you to reply — which we did, due to Brobbey’s late heroics.
As we break for the most recent spherical of internationals, we will mirror on a run of outcomes which have served additional discover of Sunderland’s intentions this season and given legions of followers the type of hope that we’ve not loved for a protracted interval at this stage for fairly a while.
This isn’t a plucky underdog of a facet that’s “Right here for time, not for a very long time”. It’s a correct group, meticulously put collectively and blessed with outstanding health, satisfaction, resilience, ability and togetherness. It’s coached with the type of element and tactical flexibility that many people have by no means skilled at Sunderland, and the perspective of the gamers has been nothing in need of exemplary.
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Because the Lightning Seeds’ Ian Broudie intoned when The Life Of Riley echoed by means of the stadium throughout the pre-match construct up, “Received’t you’re taking your seat and maintain on tight?”
Below Le Bris and with this group of gamers to swing behind, I believe we’ve achieved simply that — and this was one other memorable day for all involved.
Saturday 8 November 2025
Premier League
Stadium of Mild
Attendance: 46,799
Sunderland: 2 (Ballard 36’, Brobbey 94’)
Arsenal: 2 (Saka 54’, Trossard 74’)
Sunderland: Roefs, Hume, Geertruida (Mayenda 87’); Mukiele, Ballard, Reinildo; Xhaka, Sadiki, Traoré (Talbi 64’); Le Fée (Adingra 64’), Isidor (Brobbey 63’)
Subs Not Used: Patterson, Masuaku, O’Nien, Neil, Rigg
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba; Magalhães, Calafiori, Zubimendi; Rice, Saka, Eze (Mosquera 88’); Trossard, Merino
Subs Not Used: Kepa, Dowman, Harriman-Annous, Hincapié, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, Nørgaard, White