Intensity And Desire Won The Day For Sunderland On Saturday

On the day when the Lads took to the field in the shadow of the Stadium of Light’s newly-modified East Stand — with the inscription Sunderland Association Football Club now providing a proud and perfect counterpoint to the Jimmy Montgomery Stand opposite — falling 0-2 behind to Bournemouth wasn’t in the script as the rain pelted down and everyone of a red and white persuasion was left shellshocked by what seemed to be unfolding.

After the disappointment of Craven Cottage and defeat to Fulham, the hideous West London weather seemed to have followed Sunderland back home and although both goals were — to be frank — shoddy, in the shape of a poacher’s finish from Amine Adli after an unlucky rebound and a ludicrous forty-yarder from Tyler Adams that had shades of Richarlison’s consolation for Tottenham last weekend, they dealt an early one-two punch to Sunderland and the need to respond suddenly became even greater.

As it turned out, that’s exactly what we did as Enzo Le Fée — who caught the eye with a lively and commanding display in the centre as opposed to his familiar position on the wing — gave us a foothold with a penalty and restored hope to the thousands of home supporters on whom the magnitude of this game certainly wasn’t lost, with trips to Liverpool and Manchester City to follow.

At 1-2 at half time, things felt very much in the balance but in the end, the game was won first in the mind and then on the pitch, because Sunderland played for much of the second half with a level of intensity and degree of urgency that was almost scary at times. Desperation can be dangerous in football but if channeled properly, it can be a real asset — and that’s what we saw on Saturday.

When the excellent Bertrand Traoré hauled us level almost immediately after half time, confidence began to rise once again; the Lads clearly starting to believe that the game was there to be won. As a learning experience, this was quite possibly priceless because it reinforced the notion that no matter how much you think you might have things in hand or how far out of the game you may appear to be, things can change so quickly and you have to be ready when they do.

OK, winning games in this fashion might not be entirely sustainable in the dog-eat-dog world of the Premier League, and of course we’d all love to exert more control over our home games wherever possible, but it’s deeply satisfying when you do find yourself on the right end of the scoreline at the end of a game during which the odds looked stacked against you from early on.

At one stage, Bournemouth’s players and coaches seemed to completely lose their heads as the game slipped from their grasp, but Régis Le Bris, whose selection calls and use of substitutes — particularly the imposing and ever-improving match winner Brian Brobbey came up trumps — deserves a lot of credit for the calm and composed manner in which he guided his charges through an unexpected thriller.

One point that Saturday’s game emphasised even more strongly is that visitors to the Stadium of Light — whether that’s the league’s elite sides or the more “beatable” teams we’ll welcome to the North East this season — should be in no doubt that they’re in for a hell of a challenge on the banks of the Wear.

Our 2025/2026 home record should be a source of tremendous pride for everyone — fans, coaches, and certainly for the players who’ve acquitted themselves so well thus far, and it’s not been constructed via sheer luck, either. We’ve eked out results and snatched vital points from all kinds of situations, and to be able to head into December with an unbeaten home record to our name is one hell of an achievement.

Aston Villa couldn’t see us off with a one-man advantage; Arsenal were stung by a late salvo from Brobbey, and the Cherries had to make the long trip back to the south coast having been rendered helpless as their early advantage was overturned.

Singin’ in the rain? You bet, and even a vicious Wearside squall couldn’t dampen our spirits as we trooped back over the Keel Crossing in the winter darkness.

This was Sunderland of 2025 in glorious Technicolour — gutsy, unpredictable, and utterly unmissable. Furthermore, this is where we should strive to be and through another wholehearted display, the players showed exactly why they’re inspiring such devotion from the terraces. They’re truly a group to be proud of.