Anthony Gair says…Eli makes his level!
Mayenda was completely phenomenal, enjoying like a participant who needs to show some extent and play extra minutes in the perfect league on the earth.
Huge, sturdy, quick, fleet-footed and great. I’ll have his begin each recreation for the remainder of his life.
Commercial
Dennis Cirkin — take a bow!
He’s gone from “He’s completed, he doesn’t want a contract” to prime Roberto Carlos in a recreation!
I take again the shortage of religion from the Leeds match. I’m sorry.
Tickets being flogged…why?
That is powerful, so I’m going to go for folks promoting their tickets to Metropolis followers within the concourse.
Why would you do that? There have been so many there. You’re psychological!
Ice Station Zebra strikes once more
Much less of this coldness — I’m already dying of a chest an infection.
John Wilson says…Sunderland come out combating
I have to admit to having a little bit of trepidation earlier than the sport however the ambiance at first and the best way we went toe to toe with Metropolis was uplifting and really encouraging.
Commercial
Everybody was up for it — laborious work and no little talent. What a battling level. Excellent!
Omar Alderete prompts “beast mode”
Everybody deserves a point out however my man of the match was Alderete.
He fought for each ball and put his physique on the road. Unbelievable!
The darkish arts rear their head once more
I misplaced depend of the variety of instances they killed the ambiance and movement of the sport by happening and feigning harm.
I want referees would see this for what it’s: dishonest — or deliver within the rugby rule the place trainers can come on the pitch however enable play to proceed.
Not excellent, however it might be a begin in tackling this gamesmanship.
Commercial
A dismal refereeing show
My impartial good friend on the match stated he was probably the most inconsistent he’d seen.
My mate is a Bolton fan and regardless of what we predict, he stated the usual in League One is best than we noticed final night time.
Fortunately, it didn’t spoil an incredible efficiency.
Lars Knutsen says…One other decided efficiency towards a prime workforce
Manchester Metropolis had been on a run of eight victories coming into this fixture — and a type of was towards us on the Etihad Stadium, so we all know what this opponent is able to.
Not one of the dwelling gamers might be faulted. The defence and midfield had been excellent while we restricted Metropolis to simply 4 photographs on course.
Commercial
We’ve gone ten Premier League video games with out defeat at dwelling and this excellent level was gained with seven gamers out — six at AFCON and Dan Ballard, who additionally missed out towards Leeds United.
It is a nice time to be a Sunderland fan!
Many have remarked on how this workforce likes to defend, and we’ve earned seven clear sheets up to now — together with three on our travels.
Erling Haaland was very successfully shackled by Nordi Mukiele however we additionally selected gamers with attacking intent, with Eliezer Mayenda, Brian Brobbey and Simon Adingra beginning. We additionally had 4 photographs on course then introduced on Wilson Isidor and Romaine Mundle later within the recreation.
Commercial
Allowing for that simply over a yr in the past, we misplaced at Stoke Metropolis, the plan has been executed to perfection, with nice recruitment. We’re now a longtime Premier League facet.
Some key probabilities missed
As talked about, it is vitally laborious to fault any of the gamers however I felt that at essential moments we lacked coolness and calm in entrance of purpose — particularly the probabilities for Brobbey, Mundle and Adingra.
This argues for some attacking recruitment within the winter switch window; I nonetheless really feel we want a wily “fox within the field” who can hit the again of the online however may cross on his expertise to the youthful strikers.
Commercial
Departures within the pipeline?
It might be unconstructive to attempt to decide every other faults after one other excellent dwelling efficiency, however there’s been an enormous turnover of gamers up to now yr and over the following couple of weeks, we may even see some extra gamers who had been essential to our progress in that interval departing.
It might be “farewell” to Dan Neil, Aji Alese and others — including to Patrick Roberts, Jobe and Tommy Watson.
Clearing the decks and balancing the books is essential in enterprise phrases.
That was one of the gritty factors we’ll get this season and from one to eleven (plus our substitutes) the Lads had been all large.
Commercial
The defence confronted as much as every little thing that was thrown at them and received a well-deserved share of the factors.
A particular point out for Nordi Mukiele, who confirmed outmuscle Erling Haaland. He was my man of the match, however there have been numerous contenders.
Eli the distinction maker
I used to be satisfied for Mayenda as he’s made an incredible declare for a continued run on the fitting — in the course of the AFCON interval and possibly past.
His tempo, aggression and talent to run at defenders with the ball gave us further choices and to listen to his tune chanted again and again was unbelievable.
Hopefully he has his confidence again and may actually contribute.
Commercial
We might’ve nicked it!
The possibilities we created have been transformed in different video games and to overlook the prospect to nick a slender win towards Metropolis leaves me with an analogous feeling to the Liverpool away recreation.
Some extent is nice although — so we take it and transfer on.
One other iffy referee
The selections made by the person in black left so much to be desired however that’s a standard prevalence.
I actually thought we’d get higher officers at this stage nevertheless it appears they carry out poorly in any respect ranges.
It didn’t wreck the sport nevertheless it didn’t assist us. Higher luck subsequent time, hopefully!
Mark Wooden says…We’re again to our greatest
Arms up everybody who thought our unbeaten dwelling file would fall?
Commercial
I’ll admit I used to be one, not solely as a result of after the Leeds recreation I assumed we had been lacking Dan Ballard, Reinildo and Noah Sadiki — which isn’t a slight on the gamers who’ve are available — but additionally as a result of we had been up towards the dominant drive within the Premier League over the past ten to fifteen years, and a workforce who after a shaky time final season have appeared extra like their outdated selves up to now couple of months.
We’ve seen off Arsenal at dwelling; we’ve seen off “the guests” and now we’ve seen off the machine that’s Manchester Metropolis. Who else is on the market?
Eliezer Mayenda makes a huge effect
I like Mayenda.
Commercial
I believe he has so much in his locker for a younger striker and final season within the Championship, he labored laborious after a vibrant opening to the marketing campaign, a little bit of a detached interval after harm after which got here on sturdy within the second half of the yr to play a big half in our promotion.
As we went into this season, I felt that if there was one participant in our ranks from the Championship squad who might make an affect within the Premier League, it was him.
I believe he’s been a bit unfortunate to not get extra probabilities up to now with the type of Wilson Isidor and Brian Brobbey, however we appeared extra balanced and carried extra of an attacking risk with him in our ranks.
I hope he retains his place and will get a run within the facet, as he has extra to supply.
Commercial
Sunderland’s progress continues
This match summed up why we’re had been we’re and never combating a relegation battle.
Limitless dedication from everybody in a crimson and white shirt and within the final half hour with Metropolis piling ahead, we had been throwing our bodies from all angles in entrance of the ball.Nevertheless it wasn’t all concerning the Blues and we opened up sufficient probabilities to have gotten a purpose ourselves.
Metropolis know they received a recreation from us — and there’ll be prime groups within the Premier League who received’t give Metropolis as a lot as a check as we did.
2026 begins with an incredible level!
I’ve no actual downs to report and contemplating how I dreaded it may need turned out you need to be proud of the purpose, and it wasn’t a fortunate level at that.
It was totally deserved from our view, we’re nonetheless unbeaten at dwelling going into the New 12 months and we now have twenty 9 factors from nineteen video games and sit in seventh place midway via the season.
