Roker Report

Time is ticking for Sunderland in the transfer market, with Thomas Meunier, Jules Ahoka and Dayann Methalie the only additions on Wearside ahead of the September 1 deadline.

Supporters’ feelings are mixed, with some losing their heads on social media, calling our bids to land a central defender and a winger “desperate”, while others are more relaxed.

Of course, one of the major factors behind the distress is that the Black Cats will be playing European football this season for the first time in over 50 years, and Régis Le Bris will need a squad that can cope with the abundance of football.

We all know that expectations must be more levelled this campaign, and if history tells us anything, it is that the club will likely experience a dip in the Premier League while a route into the knockout stages in Europe should beckon.

One of the key areas Florent Ghisolfi and co. have been trying to bolster is on either wing. Against Fulham, Trai Hume and Nilson Angulo occupied the flanks, and while the pair provided contrasting skillsets, neither was able to open up the Cottagers’ backline.

Interestingly, it was Habib Diarra, a central midfielder by trade, who burst forward with pace to beat the defence and supply Wilson Isidor with a pinpoint cross to put the Lads ahead and win the game. Chemsdine Talbi, on the other hand, was an unused substitute, which tells you everything you need to know about his place in the squad.

Moves for targets on either flank appear to be dead in the water, with Geny Catamo (right), Jack Grealish (left), Igor Paixão (left) and Malick Fofana (left) all either staying at their respective clubs or moving to different pastures. That could, of course, all change, and there may be another target in the offing we are not yet aware of.

While I don’t know the truth behind every deal, it seems that the club have faced a battle to acquire a winger without paying over the odds, which has led to a cat-and-mouse approach, hence the business dragging out until the end of the window.

Does business feel desperate? I’m not so sure. The club would have drawn up a list of potential targets and would have been working their way through that list. Sunderland are not Tottenham, and I think throwing extra millions at players sets an unhealthy precedent and places you in a weaker position in future windows.

One positive is that it looks to be only a matter of time until a new centre-back is in the building, with Spurs’ move for Tosin Adarabioyo opening the door for Kevin Danso’s arrival on an initial loan. While I haven’t been overly convinced by his performances in North London, Tottenham fans appear gutted to lose him, and he bolsters a position where we have at times been short.

Another area of the pitch I would have liked added depth in is up front; not because of the lack of quality, but because the departure of Eliezer Mayenda leaves us with just Brian Brobbey and Wilson Isidor. Both are going to have significant parts to play in differing systems, as we saw on Sunday, but that position feels a bit short to me.

Perhaps the biggest win of the summer, which seems to have been overlooked by some, is that we have retained a collective of players who could represent any side in this division. Nordi Mukiele and Granit Xhaka were immense against Fulham, and Enzo Le Fée hasn’t even kicked into gear yet. There was a fear that we would lose some of our key players this summer, and instead we have managed to keep all of them at the Stadium of Light for another season. That cannot be underestimated.

The message throughout the summer is that the club wanted to add around five quality players to the squad, and so far we have added three. Thomas Meunier has already shown his ability at right-back, and when given their chance, I’m sure Methalie and Ahoua will too. Add Danso and a winger to the squad, and I would say it has been a successful window.

Would I have liked business to be more urgent? Of course. However, I have faith in the club to do the right deals at the right price and not to be pressured into paying over the odds. We all saw what happened with Will Grigg in League One, and although this situation is different, I feel the panic among some supporters is unnecessary.

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Right, lads and lasses, gather round.

The end of the season is creeping up on us, and that means one thing: that every Tom, Dick and Premier League sporting director is about to start eyeing up our players like they’re a bargain bucket at the local chicken shop.

It comes with the territory of being the surprise package — you spend a season punching above your weight, beating Chelsea, taking points off Arsenal, City and Liverpool, and suddenly the rest of the country remembers we exist. Brilliant.

So, who’s going where, and what should we be doing about it? Let’s have a crack at it!

Sunderland’s untouchables: Robin Roefs and Dan Ballard

End of conversation.

Roefs has been an absolute revelation between the sticks this season and unfortunately for the rest of us, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have all noticed.

There’s talk of a £60 million Chelsea bid being prepared this summer, which frankly feels like an insult. The lad himself has been brilliant about it, saying it’s “not really time to think about these things like moving or any rumours” and that the way we’re building here is “just really, really amazing.”

Music to my ears. He’s contracted until 2030; he’s not going anywhere unless someone backs up a Brinks’ truck, and even then, I would think twice.

Ballard, well, you know how I feel about him.

A brick wall that throws himself in front of anything that moves, and is still somehow underestimated by the rest of the league. If you fancy reading the love letter, I’ve already written it. Just know this: anyone trying to prise him away can do one.

The big one — Noah Sadiki

Here we go.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton are all queuing up like it’s Black Friday at Argos — Sadiki has been outstanding this season, and the vultures know it.

In an ideal world, he stays.

He’s twenty one, partnering Granit Xhaka in midfield, and will only get better. But football doesn’t work like that and if a silly amount of money lands on the table, decisions have to be made.

For me, the number is £60 million minimum, and even at that, I’d be feeling a bit short-changed. Anything less and we are being mugged off. Hold firm.

Hands off Brian Brobbey

Now this one is just cheeky.

Bayern Munich, of all clubs, are reportedly sniffing around Brobbey as a potential understudy to Harry Kane. Six goals in twenty five Premier League games for a side fighting at the top end of the table, and suddenly the Bundesliga champions fancy nicking him for around £20 million.

The lad is built like a small barn.

His superhuman strength and ability to hold the ball up against any centre back in the Premier League has been one of the defining features of our season. Defenders bounce off him like he’s a brick wall on legs. He buys us time, brings others into play and gives us a focal point that almost nobody in the league can deal with.

Sorry, Bayern, but no.

Brobbey has been brilliant this season. He’s only twenty four and he is exactly the kind of striker you build a long-term Premier League side around.

The idea of him sitting on a bench in Bavaria as Kane’s backup is frankly depressing. Tell them to go and find their own.

Chemsdine Talbi to Newcastle? Do me a favour!

Newcastle reportedly want Talbi as a replacement for Anthony Gordon — but Newcastle can do one. Just go away.

Aston Villa and Brighton are also said to be in the mix and at least with them we can have a sensible chat about it, but the Mags? Not at any price. Not now, not ever.

Get out of our pockets and find someone else to bother.

The best of the rest

It’s not just the headline names.

Wilson Isidor has been linked with Everton and Beşiktaş, and there are rumblings he might fancy a move for more guaranteed minutes. Eliezer Mayenda had Paris FC sniffing in January and continues to attract attention from the continent, although the club view him as a long-term asset — and rightly so.

Then there’s Nordi Mukiele.

A French international defender with PSG pedigree and Bundesliga experience at Bayer Leverkusen, picked up for a steal at £9.5 million last summer. He’s settled in quickly and you have to assume the bigger boys will start asking questions if he keeps performing at this level. Hopefully he loves it on Wearside enough to bat them away.

The truth is that if you do well in the Premier League as a newly- promoted side, your good players become part of other clubs’ shopping lists. We just have to be smart, ruthless, and not afraid to say “no”.

The Lads on loan

Anthony Patterson is the standout success story.

Shipped out to Millwall in January after losing his number one spot to Roefs, he has gone down there and grabbed the gloves with both hands.

That acrobatic, top-corner stop against Ipswich live on ITV last month? One of the saves of the Championship season. He’s reminding everyone that he’s still a Premier League goalkeeper, and there’ll be no shortage of suitors this summer.

Then there’s Dan Neil — and this one tugs at the heartstrings a bit.

A Sunderland lad through and through who captained us to promotion at Wembley, and is now seeing out the season at Ipswich with his contract winding down. However, the reality is that the team has been upgraded significantly while his progress stagnated, and he wasn’t getting the football he needed at the Stadium of Light.

If a fresh start elsewhere is what’s best for his career, I would shake his hand and wish him well. Eighteen years of service deserves nothing less.

Lutsharel Geertruida is a thornier one.

A brilliant player; very talented, and exactly the kind of versatile defender every top side wants. The trouble is that he hasn’t been a guaranteed starter on Wearside, and Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham are all sniffing around.

Honestly? I can’t see him signing. He deserves to be starting every week for a top level club, and I respect that.

Best of luck to him.

Cirkin at a crossroads?

Dennis Cirkin is one I would love to keep.

He is a good hand, a solid pro, and Régis Le Bris clearly trusts him when he’s available. The catch is that Reinildo, when fit, is special and stays first choice no matter what. So it boils down to Dennis.

Does he fancy fighting for minutes here, or does he back himself to be the main man elsewhere?

Either way, no hard feelings. Hopefully he stays.

What do we need?

A centre back to push Ballard and Omar Alderete.

A striker that can rattle in twenty-plus goals a season would be nice (asking for a friend), and if we can prevent Marseille from nicking Florent Ghisolfi for their sporting director vacancy across the Channel, that would be smashing too.

Apparently he’s already turned them down once, which is a relief, but you know what these things are like.

The verdict…

This summer is about evolution, not revolution.

We’ve got the foundations of something special, and there’s no need to rip it up and start again.

Keep the spine. Sell at the right price, never undervalue. Bring in two or three quality additions and trust the lads that’ve got us this far.

Easy, isn’t it? Haway the lads.

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After a month away from home, Sunderland returned to the Stadium of Light looking to build on the feelgood factor with a visit from relegation-threatened Spurs, who were under new management.

Despite our poor Premier League record on Sundays when facing teams not named ‘Newcastle United’ paired with recent performances on International Fans’ Day Weekend not yielding wins, it felt like a far more uncertain match than the table suggested.

With several absentees able to return to full fitness over the extended international break, how did Régis Le Bris get the better of Roberto De Zerbi and ruin the Italian’s return to English football?

Sunderland lineup

After an extended international break, Le Bris was able to bolster his matchday squad with the welcome return of several players back to full fitness.

The likes of Enzo Le Fée, Nordi Mukiele and Reinildo were all only fit enough to make the bench against Newcastle, but returned to the starting eleven against Spurs.

Elsewhere, Melker Ellborg, Lutsharel Geertruida, Chemsdine Talbi and Trai Hume all dropped to the bench, which saw both Luke O’Nien and Chris Rigg retain their places following the derby win.

The returns of Mukiele and Reinildo meant Sunderland were able to utilise their wing backs in a much more meaningful sense to create the infamous wide triangles that we’d lost due to restricted personnel in defensive positions.

Rigg assumed his position on the right wing whilst Le Fée moved back across to the left side of the three-man midfield, rotating behind Brian Brobbey up front.

Without a recognised winger on the pitch, Sunderland were relying on the overlapping runs of both wing backs as well as the positional rotations of Rigg, Le Fée and Habib Diarra along the touchline in order to drag the Spurs press into areas they weren’t comfortable squeezing into.

Whilst in some ways this limited the traditional one-versus-one isolated wing play we’ve been crying out for, the combination of passes in wide areas lead to some real moments of quality from a team perspective, but just lacked the finishing touches at times.

Spurs lineup

With over a week on the training pitch to familiarise himself with his new squad, De Zerbi made five changes from the final game of his predecessor Igor Tudor’s last game against Nottingham Forest.

With two injury-enforced changes, Antonín Kinsky and Randal Kolo Muani came it to the team whilst the returns of Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall and Connor Gallagher to full fitness allowed the trio to make the starting eleven under De Zerbi.

Moving to a more orthodox 4-3-3 system, De Zerbi opted to utilise a more narrow front three as whilst Richarilson and Kolo Muani would consider themselves ‘traditional’ central strikers, they’re also capable of playing out wide and driving infield to support the second phase of play alongside Dominic Solanke, who led the line.

Due to the attacking strengths of both Pedro Porro and Udogie, Spurs were looking to lean on the trademark De Zerbi patterns of build-up play seen at Brighton, in which they utilise a slow bounce pass to initiate the press before a quick switch to the winger or wing back in space on the opposite flank.

With a leaky defence and an attack that looked short of ideas, De Zerbi was torn between abandoning his expansive ideas and solidifying his defensive shape to build a base to survive, but in the end, he got neither from his Spurs side on the day.

A meeting of the minds

With Le Bris and De Zerbi having crossed paths once before during their respective 2024/2025 pre-season campaigns, both managers have gone on record to praise the other due, to their tactical nous and ability to make in-game adjustments in order to shift the momentum and impact the outcome for their team.

During his post-match interview, Granit Xhaka spoke about how this was the first time this season they’d encountered a coaching change prior to the game and it therefore ensured the preparations during the week were more focused on themselves than their opponents.

Both managers thrive on their ability to play without the ball and therefore this was going to very much be a game of cat and mouse between a potential aggressor and whoever looked to exploit the other on the counter.

Given our position in the table and home form, De Zerbi opted to play the percentages, surrendering possession and challenging the Sunderland coach to break his Spurs side down.

Sunderland finished this game with 52% possession — which reached 54% within the first half, recording the highest proportion of time spent with the ball in a home game this season, often with Spurs dropping into a low block on the edge of their own penalty area and tempting Sunderland to try and break them down.

Having struggled so often throughout his tenure to find answers when his side is asked to be the dominant force, Le Bris’ team did well to utilise controlled possession and carve out chances in the opening period.

Spurs’ press exploited

Despite a frantic opening period, Sunderland and Le Bris were quick to recognise a flaw in Tottenham’s press that could be easily exploited in order to break the midfield lines on command.

De Zerbi clearly recognised the influence of Xhaka and therefore opted to go man-for-man on the Sunderland captain, with a zonal screen just ahead of our skipper to prevent him from receiving the ball — but it left huge gaps either side of Xhaka.

Diarra recorded over 160m of progressive ball-carrying distance during his twenty carries, creating two chances and grabbing an assist in the process, with the space to exploit following the bypassing of Bergvall, Kolo Muani and Gallagher’s first line of initial press.

Diarra was able to show the best of himself, reminding everyone why he was such a threat at Strasbourg last season when carrying the ball from deep and arriving late due to his ability to make lung-busting runs through the heart of midfield.

Xhaka dictates the red and white orchestra once again

Following the half time break, De Zerbi tweaked his press to avoid the continual runs from Diarra and Le Fée evading the initial phase, and so by removing some of the zonal pressure on Xhaka, our Swiss maestro was able to really show of his control during the second period.

During a game which saw a real absence of leadership from the Spurs platers, Xhaka stood up to be counted, producing yet another magnificent yet efficient game in the centre of the park.

Our captain remains at his best when you don’t even notice him, enjoying over eighty five touches and keeping the game ticking over for Sunderland with 55/65 passes — including 3/5 long balls — and a staggering sixteen passes in the final third.

Xhaka did this whilst mopping up all the fifty-fifty duels in midfield and with 7/9 ground duels won and five tackles to his name, he kept things moving and showed once again how important he is to this Sunderland side.

De Zerbi overcomplicates it — and pays the price

With Sunderland in the ascendancy as the second half continued, it was the overcomplication of De Zerbi’s second half tactics that saw the Lads take the lead.

With Mukiele breaking down the right (a tactical shift to drop deeper whilst pushing Spurs’ midfield higher to press), it left a huge gap for him to stroll into, despite initially being forced down a blind alley.

The instructions to drop deeper meant nobody closed the space to Mukiele, leaving him over ten yards to advance into before his shot deflected off a lazy leg and looped into the corner beyond the helpless Kinsky.

Whilst De Zerbi may have had intentions to win the game, sometimes providing a mixture of instructions to a new squad backfires and at that moment, Spurs were punished for their naivety.

The run-in awaits!

With Sunderland now looking a stretch of games which will see them play teams around them and fighting for those European places, it doesn’t appear that there’ll be any ‘dead rubber’ fixtures as we round out what’ll go down as a truly memorable season on our return to the top flight.

Trips to Everton and Aston Villa will be followed by home games with both Manchester United and Chelsea —which all have implications on who finishes in the top ten come May 24.

As the likes of Bertrand Traoré and Nilson Angulo return to full fitness, Sunderland will be targeting their highest ever Premier League points tally of the twenty first century, currently sitting just one shy of the forty seven achieved by Steve Bruce’s side in 2010/2011.

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I’m going to start this with an apology to those ‘up the road’.

For years, I’ve been firmly convinced that our neighbours were the biggest set of entitled wet wipes in football.

Punching police horses and wrecking their own city centre in the wake of yet another derby defeat, constantly trying to link themselves to the best managers in world football, and moaning about PSR while blowing £200m+ on the likes of Yoane Wissa, Anthony Elanga and Jacob Ramsey were just some of the behaviours that ensured Adam Pearson, ‘Geordie Josh’ and their like-minded brethren were firmly top of the league — the league of twisty, moaning delusionists.

However, recent events have caused me to re-evaluate my opinion, and to those of a black and white persuasion, I have to say “I was wrong.”

The developments that’ve forced me to come to this cataclysmic change of mind happened in the wake of Tottenham’s visit to the Stadium of Light on Sunday.

The online reaction from the Spurs fanbase was a spectacle to behold; a generational headloss that made the Mags look like rank amateurs!

At the front and centre of their moaning was the performance of Brian Brobbey — yet clearly most of their fans haven’t heard of Bobby Smith, an absolute beast of a player who almost literally carried them to the double in 1961.

One Spurs fan posted a compilation of all Brobbey’s alleged ‘indiscretions’ during the game…or a video of a bunch of soft-as-clarts supposed hard men being shrugged off by a physical presence they were simply incapable of containing, if you didn’t come from North London.

Former referee Keith Hackett, whose age appears to have encouraged him to actively court controversy these days, added fuel to the fire.

“If Brobbey had raised his elbow, it would’ve been a red card.”

Alright, Keith. We can all play that game.

“If I looked like Brad Pitt and had lots of money, my list of conquests by now would’ve included Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie and Margot Robbie.”

Brobbey didn’t; I don’t look anything like Brad Pitt and I haven’t troubled the ladies of Hollywood.

It wasn’t just Brobbey who was the target of their ire, as there was footage of Noah Sadiki’s superb sliding challenge on Randal Kolo Muani. Yes, the young Congolese sensation did just catch the attacker with his follow through long after the ball had been won, but there was absolutely nothing reckless or illegal about the challenge.

Luke O’Nien was next in the firing line, with several stills of him tangling with Destiny Udogie posted as proof of his guilt. There was a reason they didn’t post the video: the evidence showed their player collapsing like a badly-opened deck chair at the slightest of touches.

After that, predictably, it was on to the officials and a load of whinging about why the Tottenham hierarchy hadn’t already whinged about previous officiating.

The victimhood was palpable! At no point was there the slightest hint of introspection; no consideration that their own players just didn’t have the heart to compete at the same level as our players, or that having no plan and about eight different managers in a season might’ve contributed to their downfall.

I tried to assist their understanding by helpfully posting the Sky Sports graphic showing that Granit Xhaka delivered more of pretty much everything that a midfielder should than Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Conor Gallagher combined. It wasn’t well-received!

I haven’t checked social media today but I have no doubt that the moaning will be continuing.

I haven’t encountered such a huge collection of massive girl’s blouses since the last time I walked through Primark. Heaven help them in the Championship if they end up there!

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Yes, ‘Sliding doors moments’.

Yes, Chelsea’s recall of Marc Guiu after a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it loan spell at the Stadium of Light.

Yes, a move that opened up a window of opportunity for Sunderland to sign a striker whose numbers for Ajax were more than impressive before an unthinkably traumatic series of off-field events derailed his career in Amsterdam, with Kristjaan Speakman and Florent Ghisolfi prepared to take a chance, present an opportunity to Brian Brobbey and offer him the prospect of a new start at the Stadium of Light — and holy cow, is it paying dividends.

The path that led Brobbey to Wearside might’ve been somewhat haphazard but after another dominant (albeit non-scoring display) against Tottenham on Sunday, the young Dutchman showed that following his derby heroics and iconic St James’ Park celebration, he’s still got more than enough in the tank to spearhead Sunderland’s push for European football.

If it’s goals you’re looking for, he’s delivered some priceless ones — and could be twenty-plus next season, in my view — but his hold-up play, ability to get his teammates into the thick of the action and ferociously competitive nature make him the perfect man to lead the Régis Le Bris’ coached attack. It’s no slight on Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda — two fine players in their own right — but simply a ringing endorsement of Brobbey.

What’s made his impact all the more remarkable is the fact that notwithstanding his personal strife, he was some distance behind his teammates in terms of fitness and game-readiness upon arrival, having not enjoyed the benefit of a pre-season programme and needing to bide his time when he first joined. That’s mentally tough for an elite athlete but the way he’s acquitted himself has been exceptional.

Prior to his arrival and the impact he’s subsequently made, the only other striker of the Stadium of Light era that was as physically dominant, capable of such impact and able to brush off defenders like autumn leaves was Niall Quinn.

Not even the brilliant Ross Stewart turned opposing centre backs to ashes in such a manner, and a comparison between Brobbey and the iconic Irishman may seem hyperbolic but who else is there, really? Kenwyne Jones was probably the next in line when it came to leading attack with such dynamism (something to which even John Terry attested), but other than the classy Trinidadian, I’m struggling.

However, what separates Quinn — a man who would smile at you while controlling a pass with his chest and lobbing a volley into the top corner before donning the old disco pants for a night on the tiles — from Brobbey is that the Netherlands international possesses what I can only describe as borderline contempt for whoever happens to be marking him at any given moment.

He takes the battles personally; he wants to beat his man and then beat him again and again, showing just what he’s all about and why he’s so damn tough to play against.

Does it push the boundaries? That depends on which side of the fence you sit. If you’re an opposition fan, he’ll get under your skin and irritate the life out of you; if you’re a Sunderland fan, you probably love him and the roof-raising ovation he received when he exited on Sunday seemed to back this up.

Align this with his finishing ability and what we’re looking at is the kind of striker that many teams in this league would give anything to sign — a combination of skill, strength and a take-no-shit attitude that’s emblematic of Sunderland’s entire approach. Want to play some football? Be our guest. He can do that. Want to try and test us physically? We’ll have some of that — and Brobbey is the man on the leading edge.

For 2026/2027, his number one target should be to become even more reliable in front of goal, and if we can get runners in and around him, he’s got the potential to be a useful source of assists as well. One would assume that there’ll be no shortage of interest in him during the summer, but we must attempt to keep him in the fold and to continue to show him as much love as possible, and from there, we’ll continue to get the best out of him.

The futures of Isidor and Mayenda are far less clear cut at this stage but Brobbey’s rise to prominence on Wearside has been quite something to behold.

He’s done more than swap the red and white of Ajax for the red and white of Sunderland: he’s established himself as a genuine Premier League-class striker and showed that despite its patchy reputation during the past two decades, the Eredivisie does produce centre forwards that can cut it in England.

A left-field and somewhat unexpected signing that’s turned out to be an inspirational addition.

“…And he’s Sunderland’s number nine…”

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John Wilson says…

Back in the Stadium of Light with the sun shining.

The wind spoilt proceedings a little, but the crowd was up for it at the start. The fourteen legends were announced and the international fans were given their day, showcasing that on and off the pitch, things are moving in the right direction.

Nordi Mukiele’s display

Great to see him back.

He’s a Rolls Royce, and if you don’t shoot, you can’t score. Deflection or not — a welcome win.

Hesitancy from Robin Roefs

He’s a great goalkeeper and I hope we can keep him, but the way he slows the game down at almost every opportunity is starting to get really annoying.

Without doubt, there’ll be folks who totally disagree with me. Fair enough, but he puts his foot on the ball, has a look around and puts his foot on the ball again, and it does my head in.

His distribution is top class, so let’s see more of it, but quicker. He’s also been caught out when wandering towards the halfway line once this season, and I’m sure it must be coached, because in his first few games, his speed when getting rid of the ball was a breath of fresh air.

A lack of killer instinct

Spurs were there for the taking.

They had no confidence and no plan, but we tried our hardest to let them off the hook. Poor decision making in the final third, and sloppy passing. Luckily, we had a goal to hang onto, but we showed them far too much respect.

Jon Guy says…

A great three points

We were well in control without needed to go through the gears.

A very composed team performance against a Spurs starting eleven which cost £350 million. Perfect to kick on for the remainder of the season!

Brian Brobbey just gets better

The big man was immense again.

He may not have scored but he ran the centre halves ragged. He’s got goals in him and he’s player we’ve really been searching for, as we were crying out for a striker who can hold the ball up.

Poor decisions in the final third

A second goal would’ve settled this as a contest.

The final ball needs to be better and there were occasions where we had players free in the box but the wrong pass was made.

Something for the training ground but we’re dynamic when we’re going forward.

Another slow start

We faced a team down on confidence and clearly looking to put a new system in place.

Régis Le Bris didn’t have the luxury of knowing what to expect, and a positive high tempo start would’ve put Spurs on the back foot. We grew into the game as it wore on, but it would be good to come out of the traps more quickly.

Joseph Tulip says…

Building crucial momentum

It was important that we built on the derby win and we stepped up to the task against Spurs with a really solid, committed team performance.

With most of our injured players available again, we’re building momentum going into the run-in and are now back into the top ten.

Solid foundations laid down

Our story of Premier League survival has been built on a strong defence, and the Tottenham match was a prime example of this.

With Robin Roefs, Nordi Mukiele and Reinildo restored to the starting eleven, we’re getting closer to full strength at the back. We were well organised and limited Tottenham’s output to the point where they tried to change things from the bench to no avail.

Luke O’Nien did well in the continued absence of Dan Ballard, but for me, the pick of our defenders was Omar Alderete.

Brobbey leading the line

Like many top flight sides this season, Tottenham couldn’t cope with Brobbey’s physical presence and the way he plays with his back to goal, holding the ball up and bringing others into play is constantly menacing.

We created quite a lot of chances and probably should’ve scored more, but did enough to win the game.

Habib Diarra returns to form

All of our midfielders contributed to what was a good all-round team performance but with the spotlight on Diarra, he didn’t fail to impress.

He was neat and tidy on the ball, pressing and tackling, but also making incisive forward runs like we were used to seeing earlier in the season.

He missed a good opportunity to play in Enzo. Le Fée, opting for Brobbey instead during the second half, but it’ll be good to see him keep up this level of performance for the remainder of the campaign.

Lars Knutsen says…

Another solid team performance

The win was less spectacular than the one on Tyneside, but there was a lot to admire about our application in this match.

The midfield and defence applied themselves well, and we’ve conceded less goals — thirty six — than all but the top two Premier League teams. That’s an amazing stat for a newly-promoted team.

A single and decisive goal

OK, it was a deflection, but margins are tight — as we found in our last three home matches, which were narrow defeats.

Lots of credit to Nordi Mukiele for driving forward in the way he showed. You’ve got to shoot to score, and he did.

More firepower needed?

Clearly we are all delighted with the win, but I’m a bit disappointed that we don’t have a proven striker to bring on.

We should’ve signed one in January, given Wilson Isidor’s recent lack of appearances — and I feel that has to be a priority for the summer transfer window.

Did we show Spurs too much respect?

I don’t like to sound negative, but Tottenham are in deep trouble after West Ham’s spirited Friday win over Wolves, so should we as a team be more ambitious and go looking for more than a single-goal victory?

I guess there are no easy games in this league.

Mark Wood says…

No slacking off from Sunderland

Before we played Newcastle, I felt our form was falling off a cliff and there was a fear there that after making the magic forty-point mark, it was “job done” for the season and results would taper out until the end of the campaign — except they haven’t.

One feature of this Sunderland team this season is that they’ve kept grinding out the wins, recovering points when they’re behind and holding on to them when in front.

With another win yesterday, if anything, we’re coming back into form and eyeing the places above us.

The cavalry returns just in time!

There were some welcome returns from injury — notably Robin Roefs, Reinildo and Nordi Mukiele, and we look a much more solid team with them in our line up.

Being not far off a full-strength team, we can be confident of picking up a few more results over the remainder of the season.

Although a European spot might theoretically be only one point ahead of us at this stage, I feel more confident that we can at least secure a top-half finish — which would be an achievement we dared to imagine before the season kicked off.

VAR helps us out for a change

I still hate VAR for all kinds of traditionalist reasons — not least the way it breaks up a game — but it keeps providing me for reasons to at least call a truce with it.

Yesterday, VAR came to our rescue again, because the referee gave a penalty to Tottenham which he was never going to reconsider even with a gun pointed at the head of his grandmother, until he was told by VAR to go and view it on the pitchside monitor.

It would’ve possibly meant Sunderland going 0-1 down and then it could’ve been a very different outcome to the match — with Tottenham in serious trouble, they would’ve had a different game plan if they had a lead.

I have to give a nod of thanks to VAR. Again.

Brian Brobbey leads the way again

Brobbey didn’t get on the scoresheet and I’m not even sure if he had a shot on target, but it was one of those days where you just couldn’t underestimate his contribution if you were watching the game.

We’ve begun to appreciate just how much of a handful he is for opposition defences as the season has gone on, and you just had to look at the multi-yellow carded, substituted and bandaged Tottenham backline and goalkeeper to understand what he brings to our side.

His hold-up play was exceptional and the way he was able to link with Habib Diarra — who looks like he’s starting to come back into form — shows promise for the remainder of the season.

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Back at home and back to winning ways!

And so this wonderful, exciting and memorable season continues.

The afterglow of our stunning derby triumph certainly kept us warm during the international break and last weekend’s FA Cup hiatus, but there’s nothing like the resumption of the league to really stoke the competitive fires and given the lie of the land in the race for European football as well as Tottenham’s precarious position, this felt like a wonderful opportunity for Sunderland to make hay while the sun was shining — and that’s exactly what we did.

Collectively and individually, the Lads were brilliant on Sunday and although a slight lack of sharpness in front of goal denied us the chance to turn a 1-0 victory into what would’ve been a far more reflective 2-0 or 3-0 success, it’s all about getting the job done at this stage and Nordi Mukiele’s deflected winner, which pinged off Micky van de Ven and left Antonin Kinsky helpless, was one of the most valuable goals we’ve scored at home all season.

For a multitude of reasons — our intensity, aggression, streetwise approach and hard-nosed attitude — this was one of the most satisfying wins of the season. It took us to forty six points, one short of the final total of Steve Bruce’s class of 2010/2011, and ensured that the dream of continental football remains very much alive.

Superb.

A true team effort and a collective triumph

Occasionally, you’re fortunate enough to witness a performance during which every player contributes substantially and weak links are few and far between — and this was certainly one of them as Sunderland saw off a Spurs side whose lack of spine was brutally exposed once again.

The return from injury of Robin Roefs, Reinildo and goalscoring hero Mukiele added some real clout to the Lads’ starting eleven, and with Luke O’Nien retained following his inspirational derby performance, our depth proved useful as Régis Le Bris was able to tinker without losing cohesion — a rare and vital luxury for the Sunderland head coach, who seems to have been grappling with a lengthy injury list for quite some time.

From Roefs to the industrious Noah Sadiki, the lively and ever-maturing Chris Rigg, the inspirational Granit Xhaka and the virtually unplayable Brian Brobbey, everyone in red and white delivered on Saturday, contributing to a performance that mixed attacking prowess with the kind of defensive solidity and midfield control that we’ve regularly sought but often found difficult to come by during recent home games.

Yes, Spurs were rotten and there was no sign of a ‘new manager bounce’ under the recently-appointed Roberto De Zerbi, but Sunderland didn’t play down to the visitors’ level, instead retaining their focus, their discipline and their intent to emerge triumphant.

Recent home games have been frustrating affairs. This was anything but, and that’s hugely encouraging.

An encouraging display from Habib Diarra

Remember at the start of the season, when most — if not all — Sunderland fans were purring at the prospect of a red and white midfield trio of Diarra, Xhaka and Sadiki? That was justified, as the Senegal international was looking seriously good before being struck by injury, and his subsequent recovery and AFCON absence have undoubtedly hampered his progress ever since.

However, his current position isn’t unexpected in the wake of such trials and tribulations, so please spare me the premature nonsense about how he “hasn’t lived up to his price tag” and the like. It’s tedious; it’s almost entirely without merit and it’s frankly disgraceful. £30 million may be a sizable fee by Sunderland standards but the idea that he’s been a ‘flop’ is about as wayward as some of Spurs’ shooting on Sunday.

Diarra is a quality operator and against a visiting midfield that was worryingly flimsy, he found the going much more to his liking — and this was probably exactly what he needed as he continues to build up his fitness and form ahead of what we all hope will be a hugely impactful 2026/2027 campaign.

He’s exactly where he should be after a stop-start season so far, but he’ll have a huge role to play for the remainder of the campaign, and certainly next season.

Sunderland are entering uncharted waters — by recent standards, anyway!

I have to admit that taking a glance at the current league table, with Sunderland sitting very prettily on forty six points, is quite a surreal experience and I’m not ashamed to admit that I didn’t foresee us racking up this many points with six games remaining — which says a lot about how well these lads have performed and the manner in which they’ve applied themselves.

For years, we associated Sunderland with top flight struggles; of getting it wrong, scraping survival and then repeating the process over and over again, but this feels different and under Le Bris, these players are showing that they’ve got the vigour, desire and togetherness to give the fans a memorable end to the campaign and to send us into the summer with optimism at the kind of level that we’ve possibly not seen since the heady days of the Peter Reid era.

Of course, there’s a lot of football to be played and more questions to be answered, but we’re firmly in the mix and I get a sense the players are relishing the challenge.

With Xhaka leading by example and his fellow senior pros lighting the way for their younger teammates, this could be the beginning of a shift in mentality that could eventually slingshot this club into a brand new era.

Let’s go for it!

Routine win against struggling Spurs…

In the build-up to the game I mentioned that it’s coming up seven years since Spurs played in the Champions League final and we haven’t beaten them in the last 15 meetings going back to 2010, but they hardly put a glove on us. We kept them at arms length while actually creating more good goalscoring opportunities than we have been of late.

Whether or not that was because we were playing Spurs, time will tell, but if there was an emphasis on being positive in the final third, it came through.

Back to the point though. Although some Spurs fans might disagree, they’ve still spent big. Maybe not relative to the City’s and Chelsea’s of the world, but they’ve still had major investment on the field - and it once again highlights how clever we’ve been in the market.

Look at Solanke for instance and compare the problems he caused us versus the nightmares Brobbey gave their backline. It’s not even comparable, but Spurs spent roughly three times the amount on their striker than we did ours.

Then there was the general workrate and the simple every day things like winning the 50/50’s. The character in our squad shone through and that is what we’re getting right more than anything. We’ve all seen players over the years who aren’t the right fit and don’t have the right character to buy into our identity - it goes downhill very quickly.

Yesterday’s game was a symbolic game where one club has done their job properly to build a side, and the other hasn’t.

Passports at the ready?

I’m writing this after our 1-0 win over Spurs and before the Chelsea take on Citeh - but at the time of writing, just six points separates Chelsea in fifth and the Visitors in fourteenth. Our three points against struggling Spurs means we’re just two behind Chelsea. It’s a bit nuts.

One thing has come through this season and that is we can compete with anyone. In the games against City and Arsenal they left the field knowing they’d been in a game and with the league being so tight a high place finish is there for the taking.

If we ever worried if this side would hit the beach after getting to forty points then the last couple of games has shown us exactly what the players think about the run-in. Considering how hard they’ve worked for that current position, you wouldn’t be surprised if those players are as excited as we are about how this season might end.

It’s been a great ride whatever happens, but after that Spurs result it feels like we’re chasing something in this final six games.

O’Nien Picks Up Where He Left Off…

We could pick a number of players out for praise after that win against Spurs but with the options available after the break a few people probably predicted O’Nien might take a place on the bench - but not only did he retain his place, he did his thing and we kept a clean sheet.

Players often say that they find their momentum after a few games in the side and O’Nien is doing just that. When someone as influential as Dan Ballard is missing from the line-up it’s bound to be a concern because of the size of character required needed to fill his boots, and in Luke O’Nien we have someone who is slotting straight in.

On current form you just couldn’t take him out, especially with the side keeping clean sheets, but a problem that I’m sure Le Bris loves to have.

Is There A Better Striker In Europe?

Bit of a loaded question because we all no doubt thinks there isn’t. But in all seriousness, with the job he’s asked to do for Sunderland, while we’re not one of the leagues most attacking and goalscoring sides, is there a better striker who does what Brian Brobbey is asked to do for Sunderland?

He’s the closest thing we’ll see to a striker that existed 20-25 years ago until the cycle comes back around for those types to be required. He simply does everything.

The Spurs back four all either ended up on yellow cards or went off injured and you can imagine in the dressing room after the game they would have wondered what hit them. Just like after the whistle went up the road a few weeks ago and pretty much whoever else he’s played against this season.

I’d hate to see him go and I hope he loves playing in this side - but if you were in the recruitment team of a side in the Champions League across Europe, you’d be offering silly money.

Made a hugely important save on the stroke of half time and then tipped over a driven Porro shot near the end but was a spectator for most of the game with his defence shielding him superbly, did get lucky with a spilled catch that ended on the roof of the net late on.

Returned to the starting line-up after injury and immediately showed how much we’ve missed him. So strong and reliable defensively but a threat at the other end too with his constant overlapping runs. Got himself a deserved goal after he cut inside and saw his deflected effort fly in.

Got a little lucky when he needlessly slid in for the overturned penalty decision, as Alderete was already dealing with the striker but had a very solid game at the back, did great to win a goal kick after he needed to make an important tackle close to goal.

Won everything at the back all game, both in the air and on the ground. Showed his skill often too, to skip away from potential threats.

Had his side of the pitch sewn up all game, with nothing coming from the visitors down the left. Won some crafty free kicks at important times too.

Protected the back four well and was tidy in possession. Put in some dangerous set pieces today, testing the goalkeeper early on from a corner and setting up a great chance for Mukiele with a deep free kick.

Patrolled alongside Xhaka for a lot of the game, not giving Spurs an inch but then caused them problems by flying up the left wing. Probably should have had an assist with great play late on but no-one got on the end of his dangerous cross.

Had a good game playing just off Brobbey, had a couple of good attempts on goal with the first being saved in the first half and then firing over after cutting in from the left in the second. Led the press well and was good at finding space between the midfield and attack, almost played Brobbey in during the second half but really should have gone left to the waiting Le Fee.

Worked really hard off the ball to give Mukiele some help but not hugely impactful on the ball, his best moment coming just before going off when he had a shot from the ’D’ blocked.

Was really good on the ball for most of the game, although did have a couple of sloppy passes during injury time. Did brilliantly after the break to find himself with a great chance to shoot but elected to pass instead, then found himself in acres of space, only for Diarra to pass to Brobbey instead.

Another great effort up top, held off the Spurs defence constantly and brought his teammates into play. Had a good chance from a Le Fee cross but could only head comfortably over.

Gave away a dangerous free kick shortly after coming on but was very quick to close down any potential threat from Spurs.

Probably should have bust a gut to get on the end of Sadiki’s ball across the six yard box but helped us keep possession after coming on.

A very late change as we saw out the game.

The entire back four were dominant today but Nordi gets my man of the match after combining his defensive contributions with an attacking threat. Scored the winner after he cut inside, surged forward and although he was lucky the shot deflected in, it was still great intent to get himself into that position. Probably should have had another too but couldn’t direct a free header goalwards from a deep Xhaka free kick.

Thomas Frank’s time at Tottenham was unsuccessful after a fast start where we went toe to toe with PSG who had won the Champions League last season are were seen as the best teams in the world but most and after beating Manchester City away in the Premier League.

I believe injuries caused Frank to set us up more defensively, which then meant we would create little to nothing in games and have really low XGs. This was where it went wrong. Maddison getting injured pre-season was a big blow on top of failing to sign both Eze and Gibbs-White.

I believe Frank was the wrong manager at the wrong time, but we must recognise he is a good coach and was not responsible for all of our problems. He was particularly failed in the January window where the team was neglected and the board gambled with the future of our football club.

Frank should have either been sacked around Christmas after being humiliated by Arsenal and Chelsea. Or stick with him. The timing to sack him is flirting with relegation if you ask me.

I wish Thomas Frank all the best for the future. Unlike most Spurs fans particularly on social media, I hold no grudge against him and instead blame the board and owners.

Igor Tudor was a disaster, leaving the club with a 0% win record, the lowest ever win percentage of a top six manager. It was a shocking appointment with no Premier League experience, and no experience in a relegation battle.

For me, it had to be a permanent appointment for the players to want to play for the manager. The club almost made it too clear that Tudor would be gone in the summer.

The fact of the matter is, he didn’t know many if any of the players, he had no idea of their best position. From Gallagher at RW to Tel at LWB, players were in wrong positions. The departure benefited all parties. My thoughts go out to Igor Tudor and his family after the passing of his father Mario. I also wish Igor Tudor all the best for the future.

The appointment of Roberto De Zerbi has gone down well with Spurs fans I’d say. If I had to say a percentage, I’d say at least 80%-85% of the fan base are happy, recognising the importance of bringing in a permanent coach.

Those who were and potentially are still against him have expressed their frustration on social media. Their issue around the appointment is more morals and De Zerbi as a human being, after he stood by Mason Greenwood at Marseille. Some fans even saying they will not attend anymore and some more extreme individuals saying that will not support the team while De Zerbi is head coach. De Zerbi’s commmets went over and above in a way that seemed to take a stance and suggest Greenwood was painted incorrectly by the media. Across my own social media I expressed my concern around the appointment due to this which could cause division at a time where unity is needed.

I also made clear the need for De Zerbi to address these comments immediately.

Since he has apologised in his first interview for the club after being appointed, he spoke in Italian to avoid mistakes. This for me gave me reassurance and should mean a line is drawn under it. Whilst this issue will never go away. As time goes by. particularly if De Zerbi has a new manager bounce, the talks will die down. For those that hold a grudge against De Zerbi, I would say to them that you still support the team and not the manager. Our support for the club should always be unconditional and no individual such as De Zerbi is bigger or more important than the club.

It goes without saying, I would never want or accept Mason Greenwood at the club, but De Zerbi was put in a difficult position as Marseille manager and he’s a passionate individual that will defend all of his players.

We have suffered from injuries this season. This should not be an excuse but instead frustration towards the board, the owners, and the recruitment team for failing to fact in the January window when we were down to just 11 senior players come the end of the month. Negligence and incompetence.

Currently we are without: Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison, Tel, Bissouma, Odobert, Kudus, Davies, and Kulusevski. Standing at 9 out which is not great but low compared to January and February.

Tel should be available out of that list, even if he just comes off the bench and does not start.

I predict a really attacking line up with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Kinsky (GK) - Porro, Romero, Van De Ven, Souza - Bergvall, Gray - Tel, Simons, Richarlison - Solanke.

I think the game will be a close repeat of the reverse fixture where we the lead and you equalise, just earlier than the reverse fixture.

I’m going 1-1 again, which I would take. Context and hindsight is key but in principle I would if the performance showed real progression and we showed fight.

You are strong at home, even despite the last few results you have had at home. The record there across the season has been really impressive.

I would like to end by wishing Sunderland all the best for the remainder of the season after Sunday. A fantastic club and it’s great to see them back in the Premier League, and going from strength to strength.