Sunderland

Paul Birch
BBC Sport journalist

Brighton look to continue the excellent form they showed prior to the international break against a Sunderland side who have won just once so far this season. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes going into the fixture at Stadium of Light.

How Brighton must wish the international break had come at a different time. Their final act of a brilliant September was to dismantle champions Arsenal with a performance that chairman Tony Bloom said was "arguably the best" in the club's 125-year history.

Their stunning run of form led to the Seagulls rightfully being rewarded as Fabian Hurzeler was named September's manager of the month and Pascal Gross player of the month, while captain Lewis Dunk took the honours for best goal after his dipping rocket against Coventry City.

The Premier League's leading scorers sit top or near the top of almost every major attracting metric so far this season and average a whopping 3.2 goals per game.

Their past two league matches have ended in an aggregate scoreline of 8-0 and they will be aiming to record three games in a row in the competition without conceding for only the second time. In total, they have kept five clean sheets in their eight matches this season.

But will any of their momentum be taken away by having three weeks off? The irony, of course, is that fixtures now come at a frightening rate, with seven matches in 21 days as their Conference League commitments really kick in.

But Bloom believes the club have more than enough to cope. "We've got a great squad and the biggest depth we've ever had," he said. "We don't have ceilings and we can finish high in the Premier League. Absolutely, if we have a really good season, we have a realistic chance of finishing in the top five."

Sunderland hit by Brobbey's absence

While Brighton cursed the arrival of the international break, Sunderland will have been relieved for a break after the rigours of facing Arsenal and Manchester City on back-to-back weekends.

Their 5-3 defeat at Etihad Stadium will go down as one of the games of the season, with Brian Brobbey becoming only the sixth player to score a Premier League hat-trick in defeat and only the fourth man to score a treble against the side starting the day top of the Premier League.

However, the Black Cats suffered a big blow when the striker suffered a minor hamstring injury playing in the Netherlands' draw with Germany and he has joined fellow key men Dan Ballard and Habib Diarra on the sidelines.

Head coach Regis le Bris will need them all back firing as soon as possible because, like Brighton, they are entering a punishing period of matches and also play seven times by the end of October.

Le Bris, who celebrated 100 matches in charge of the Black Cats in their defeat by City, has seen his side win just one of their opening five league matches, but at least the top two are now out of the way. They actually had a whopping xG of 4.15 compared to City's 2.72, but Brobbey's hat-trick in that game accounts for half their six league goals and they have underperformed in front of goal.

Sunderland have actually only been ahead for 3.9% of their game time this season, all of which came in the final 19 minutes of their win over Fulham.

Le Bris, who has lavished praise on Brighton in the build-up to this game, says his side have a "tough test" if they are to celebrate what would be only a second top-flight victory over the Seagulls, and their first since in May 1982.

Sunderland fan Eleanor McCabe says the Black Cats are "going to learn about our priorities" as Regis le Bris' side go into a spell of seven games in 21 days.

"Sunderland can't treat each competition like it is the only thing that matters," she said, with fixtures in the Premier League, Europa League and Carabao Cup to come before the end of October.

"At some point, choices have to be made. That is exciting as this a different problem to what Sunderland have had in the past decade. Last season was about proving we belong here. Now it feels different.

"We are travelling away to Milan and we're having European nights at the Stadium of Light. Equally, there's a bigger picture. We're building ourselves as an established Premier League club.

"I don't feel we should throw European games away, but we have to be clever.

"It is not about each individual match, it is about managing a season. I feel this run will tell us about our ambition.

"If Sunderland can come through these weeks still competitive - suddenly the conversation around this club becomes completely different.

"Maybe that's why I don't want us to be too cautious. Yes, the Premier League matters most, but seasons like this don't come around all the time."

Listen to more from Eleanor below or on BBC Sounds here

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Just five games in, it might seem a bit early to pay much attention to the Premier League table - but it's probably more settled than you think.

If we look at the Premier League after five games last season and where teams ultimately ended up, the final table was already starting to take shape as 13 of the 20 sides finished within four places of where they sat even at this early stage (65%).

Eventual champions Arsenal were second, Sunderland were already seventh - where they finished eight months later - and two of the three sides that were relegated were already in the bottom three.

The eventual champions have been in the top two at this point in the past four campaigns, suggesting - potential punishments aside - it will be Manchester City or Arsenal that lifts the trophy.

The top end of the table overall has sometimes settled surprisingly quickly in recent years. The top eight after five games in 2024-25 finished as the top eight at the end of that season (although not in the same order), while the top six in 2019-20 and top seven in 2016-17 were also in place at this early stage.

While being top after five games has not meant much in recent seasons, being bottom certainly has.

Tottenham could well be in trouble once again as the side bottom of the Premier League after five games has been relegated in six of the past seven seasons.

Being bottom this early did not used to be such a bad omen. Between 2013-14 and 2018-19, only one of the six sides that were propping up the table after five games ended up going down - Newcastle in 2015-16 - while Crystal Palace finished as high as 11th in 2017-18.

Looking at the relegation battle more broadly, at least one of the teams in the bottom three at this stage has been relegated in the past eight seasons - so one of Tottenham, Fulham and Coventry City are very likely to be heading to the Championship in May.

The pool of contestants for this season's relegation battle may already be decided too because the three sides that ultimately went down in the past three seasons were all in the bottom six after five games, which would add Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace to the mix.

The last sides to be outside the bottom six at this point but relegated were Leeds United and Southampton in 2022-23, who were both in the top half (seventh and ninth). With their teams currently in eighth and 11th place, Hull City and Ipswich Town fans will hope that is still the case at the end of this campaign.

While the season may well have barely begun, the Premier League table is already starting to take shape.

Read the piece in full here

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We asked for your favourite memories of former Sunderland striker Fabio Borini, who has announced his retirement from football at 35.

Here are some of your comments:

John: His opening goal for Sunderland against Manchester City in the 2014 League Cup final. Perhaps, given what we know now, he and his team should have winners' medals.

Charlie: Always liked Fabio and he scored in the big games. A great penalty taker and his unique celebration was, well, different.

Maxi: Two goals. The first against Manchester City at Wembley in the League Cup final. The second, the penalty against Newcastle at St James' Park and the subsequent celebrations. Forever in my memory.

Korky: Borini's penalty against Newcastle was brilliant! The way he actually laughed at the goalkeeper in the build-up as if to say "I'm going to put the ball past you" was really entertaining.

Jura: Yes, it's so easy to remember Borini by the vital goals he scored but don't forget he had a relentless work-rate, tactical versatility and an emotional connection to us fans.

Melissa Edwards
BBC Sport journalist

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brighton at Stadium of Light (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Le Bris confirmed defender Dan Ballard has sustained a "medium-term injury" and will be sidelined for a few weeks.

• Meanwhile, Brian Brobbey is likely to be available "soon" after picking up a minor injury while on Netherlands duty, and is on a similar schedule as Habib Diarra, who is expected to return in about a week.

• On the striker situation while Brobbey is sidelined, Le Bris said: "I'm happy – we set a clear picture of this position with three strikers. I think Brian is in a really good place and he's started the season really well. A small injury is not a problem but it's true we'd like to have him fit. We have Wilson [Isidor], who is a really good striker with a different style of play but really competitive for the Premier League and showed his qualities last season."

• Forward Nilson Angulo scored his first goal for Ecuador during the international break. Le Bris said the 23-year-old is one of the "young potentials in the squad" and now is "just the beginning" for him.

• Black Cats captain Granit Xhaka posted on social media on Thursday, external that he has received a suspended fine from Swiss authorities for obtaining a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate in 2022. When le Bris was asked about it, he said: "No comment on external topics but [from] what I've seen during the international break, he has trained really well. It's positive. He's in a good place football-wise and for me that is the most important."

• On Sunderland's start to the season, Le Bris said: "I'm happy when we win - that's important first of all. I'm not worried about the level of the squad. We identified clearly our strength and the different areas we have to improve. It's mainly about consistency. We have many ups and now the downs appear a bit too often, and it's about unforced errors rather than something well played from the opponent. How can we improve our accountability to be better? It's about us."

• Brighton have scored three or more goals in four of their five Premier League games so far. On facing Fabian Hurzeler's in-form side, Le Bris said: "They are good - player of the month and manager of the month are well deserved. A perfect start."

• He added: "A really good team, well coached, good energy, high press - they are modern and really efficient. We like this challenge. This is the Premier League and it's relentless. We don't want fear, we are just excited for the challenge and it's going to be a tough test."

Listen to more from Le Bris by hitting play above or on BBC Sounds here

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Former Sunderland striker Fabio Borini has announced his retirement from football at 35.

Writing on social media, he said: "I want to thank that kid who never stopped believing. And the man I am today will keep believing in the next opportunity, this time without a ball at my feet, but with that same belief. Always."

The Italian forward initially joined the Black Cats on a season-long loan from Liverpool in September 2013 before joining the club permanently in 2015 after a year back at Anfield.

Borini was part of the Sunderland side that completed a great escape in 2013-14 when Gus Poyet's side looked destined for relegation, sitting seven points off survival with six games remaining.

The former Chelsea man had many memorable moments at the Stadium of Light, none more so than when he came off the bench to net a stunning winner against Newcastle six minutes from time in 2013.

What was your favourite Borini moment during his time at the Stadium of Light?

Get in touch with your views here

In this final part of a special Q&A, BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentator Nick Barnes assesses Chemsdine Talbis' prospects and looks at whether the injured Brian Brobbey might be replaced in the Europa League squad.

Terry asked: Does Talbi, who I think is the best winger we have but Regis le Bris doesn't seem to think so, have a future at the Stadium of Light?

Nick: Talbi is a talented winger and, given an opportunity in the first team, he could cement a place in the starting XI.

Unfortunately, the uncertainty about his future at the end of the summer did him few favours, allowing others - predominantly Nilson Angulo - to find themselves ahead of him in the pecking order.

However, with the heavy fixture schedule this season, I think Talbi will find himself back in the team even if he has to be patient for a few months. Le Bris does like him and didn't want him to leave.

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Kate asked: If Brobbey's injury is long term (hopefully not), who do you think should be replaced in the Europa League roster? To me, Talbi is the natural replacement.

Nick: I expect Talbi to be included in the Europa League squad at some point, but I think it will be in January rather than this year.

Of course, the extent of Brobbey's injury is not yet known but there was some speculation it is not as bad as first feared. Fans must hope so because striking options are limited.

The priority for the club remains the Premier League and, in that respect, Wilson Isidor and Juan Riquelme can hopefully remain fit.

Explore Sunderland content on BBC Sounds

In the second of a three-part Q&A with BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentator Nick Barnes, he looks at whether Regis le Bris' head could be turned by another club and any potential regrets over the Black Cats' summer recruitment.

Les asked: Do you think Le Bris will be tempted by interest from other clubs and would Sunderland entertain any approaches?

Nick: In short, I don't think he would be tempted. He is very happy in his own skin at Sunderland and I am sure the hierarchy would not entertain any approach for him.

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David asked: Does the club regret not signing a striker in the summer with some European experience?

Nick: I'm not sure they regret it because they did try hard to bring in another forward but the market was such that it proved too difficult to get a player over the line.

I think Sunderland will be rueful if it turns out Brian Brobbey is injured for any length of time and they will be anxious that Wilson Isidor and Juan Riquelme stay fit. I am sure they will revisit the situation in January because I think they do realise it's not ideal having only two realistic frontline strikers - but they will also not want to be drawn into paying over the odds for a player. That was an issue that beset the club in the summer in a market which became overinflated and unrealistic.

Finding players like Riquelme would appear to be a more pragmatic and cost effective road to go down.

Return to this page later on Wednesday for the third and final part of the Q&A, which will look at Chemsdine Talbi's future and possible alternative options to Brobbey in the Europa League squad.

We asked you to send in your questions for BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentator Nick Barnes to answer. In the first part of a special Q&A, he addresses issues in defence and whether Dan Ballard's fitness is a cause for concern.

Richard asked: Last season, our near-impenetrable defence got us through. Despite more confident play, our defence has looked quite sloppy at times - even Robin Roefs doesn't seem as good as he was. What should Sunderland do about it?

Nick: The defence hasn't been as reliable or strong as last season, although I believe Kevin Danso has been a standout player. Both Ballard and Omar Alderete have not been as good as in 2025-26, and that has not helped. It's difficult to work out why they have both dipped from the high standards they set last season.

Of course, Ballard is now injured so I would expect Alderete or Nordi Mukiele to replace him because Thomas Meunier is a more than able replacement at right-back, as is Trai Hume, though it seems Regis le Bris now sees Hume more as a midfielder than a defender.

The defence is in transition too this season, with the additions of Danso and Dayann Methalie, so fans will hope they can get back to the high standards set last term, and that is true too of Roefs. He is a very talented young goalkeeper and still learning.

The Premier League is unrelenting and high pressured so I think we have to allow Roefs some breathing space in his development because he is destined to be a top keeper.

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Maxi asked: Ballard is a great asset - does he have an injury reputation or am I being too harsh?

Nick: I don't think you're being harsh because his record unquestionably speaks for itself. I feel for him because he has been beleaguered by bad luck and he seems to have a chronic weakness when it comes to hamstrings.

He undoubtedly puts his body on the line every time he plays and that clearly puts it under under duress, perhaps more so than other outfield positions. Hopefully a solution can be found that gives Ballard more consistency when it comes to the number of matches he can play.

Come back to this page on Wednesday for parts two and three of the Q&A, which will look at subjects including whether the club would entertain any approaches for Le Bris, Chemsdine Talbi's future and whether injured Brian Brobbey could be replaced in the Europa League squad.

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A number of Premier League clubs want Manchester City to be hit with both "retrospective punishments" and sanctions for the future for their mass financial rule-breaking, sources have told BBC Sport.

An independent commission found City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

City have appealed against the verdict, while the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is poised to look at the findings to see if there may be any suggestions of potential misconduct.

However, there is said to be a consensus among a group of top-flight club executives that if City's appeal is unsuccessful, the sanctions should make reparations for the period when they broke the rules, while also limiting their powers in future.

There is also a feeling from at least four Premier League boardrooms that a "one-hit" points deduction resulting in relegation to the Championship would be an insufficient punishment given the severity of City's wrongdoing.

Read more on what rival clubs want

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Content creator and Sunderland fan Eleanor McCabe says the club's squad depth "is going to be the biggest question over the next few months".

"I think the most interesting thing about Sunderland at the moment is the start to the season is almost going to feel like the easy bit," she told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"We've had some really difficult games but we're coming out of the international break and things are starting to feel really different to how it did before.

"The games are going to come thick and fast, Europe is properly a part of the calendar now, and injuries are really starting to become a factor.

"We will start to find out if this squad is genuinely built for what Sunderland are trying to do this season. The international break has not helped with injury concerns for Dan Ballard and Brian Brobbey.

"When you go from weekend league games to Thursday European matches you suddenly need a lot more than just a good starting XI. That for me is going to be the biggest question over the next few months.

"Last season we could build momentum from one game to the next but this season there has to be rotation. That is a completely different challenge.

"But, that is why I am still quite positive. The squad is deeper than last season, we made some good signings, there is more options, experience and competition for places. We are not just relying on the same XI every week to stay fit."

Listen to the full chat below or on BBC Sounds

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Speaking about Sunderland's 2026-27 campaign so far, including the challenges Regis le Bris' side will face after the international break, Black Cats fan Eleanor McCabe said: "The most interesting thing at the moment is knowing that the start of this season is almost going to feel like the easy bit.

"That's not because it has been easy so far. We've had some really difficult games already, but we are coming out of the international break and the season suddenly feels very different to how it did before it.

"The games are coming thick and fast, Europe is properly part of the calendar now, and injuries are really starting to become a factor.

"This will be the point where we begin to find out whether this squad is genuinely built for what Sunderland are trying to do this season. For me, the biggest question over the next month will be whether we have more than just a good starting XI.

"There are going to be weeks when a player is called on in the Europa League on a Thursday and they are asked if they can go again in the Premier League on a Sunday. It is a completely different challenge.

"The squad does feel deeper than it did last season. There is more experience and more competition for places. We aren't just relying on the same 11 players each week and hoping they stay fit.

"That all matters when it comes to 'second-season syndrome'. That phrase has been thrown around so much when it comes to Sunderland, but it usually happens to clubs that stand still.

"Sunderland have clearly tried to build a squad that can cope with more than just surviving in the Premier League. I'm glad because I don't want us treating the Europa League as some annoying extra competition that gets in the way of the Premier League, we have waited too long for this moment.

"The next few weeks will tell us quite a lot. Can we rotate without dropping too much? Can we manage injuries without everything becoming a crisis? Can we keep our league form steady while taking Europe seriously?"

Listen to more from Eleanor McCabe by pressing play below or on BBC Sounds here

Sunderland have had a rather mixed start to the 2026-27 Premier League campaign, picking up four points from their opening five games.

It is a haul that has left them 14th in the table, level on points with Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, over the three-week international break.

Do you have any burning questions about the Black Cats? From injury concerns to Regis le Bris' tactics, feel free to ask anything that's on your mind.

BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentator Nick Barnes will be on hand to answer a selection next week.

Get in touch with your question here

Explore Sunderland content on BBC Sounds

Although 2 March 2014 may not be a familiar date to recall for most football fans, for Sunderland fans, it was the day they returned to a first major final in pursuit of winning their first major trophy since their famous 1973 FA Cup win against Leeds United.

Although Fabio Borini's fine angled strike gave the Black Cats the lead in the opening half, Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City fought back to win 3-1.

Sunderland's wait for a major trophy went on, but with City being found guilty of all charges related to breaches of Premier League financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons - should Sunderland be awarded the EFL Cup trophy?

Former boss Gus Poyet, who led the team to the final, told BBC Radio Newcastle he will have a "big celebration" in Sunderland if the Wearside club is awarded the trophy.

Poyet said: "When you feel cheated, you feel cheated in the moment when it happens.

"When I played against them, especially the final, I did not know, so I couldn't feel that way.

"Now it brings things back. If the punishment is to give titles to other teams, I will have a big celebration in Sunderland for sure, there's no doubt about it."

Although Poyet "didn't know" at the time about City's allegations, he also feels "sorry" for current and past players who are embroiled in the charges at the club.

"First, I am a common sense person, so I don't understand why it took so long," he added. "It is not like it was a 50-50 case. It was clearly one way.

"I feel a bit sorry in certain ways for the people involved because obviously they didn't know. The players didn't know.

"Time is terrible in football because too many things happen during that time."

Listen below to hear more from Gus Poyet or on BBC Sounds

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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The Premier League has opened a Pandora's box of problems which cannot be closed. However well-intentioned, however morally upright they mean to be, the way the product is perceived around the planet by fans will be negatively affected.

This looks like a gigantic mess, but could also become a bit of a joke, especially if they attempt to rewrite history, and change the winners' names on the Premier League and cup trophies over these past 15 years. I wouldn't want the engraver's job.

I believe financial rules brought in to prioritise financial sustainability were also aimed at limiting the money being spent by the clubs, especially the staggering, ever-inflating sums spent on sometimes fairly average players. It could lead to a de facto salary cap, which many fans would approve of.

The long-term problem for the league is easy to see here: if the top players are then offered significantly more money to play elsewhere, they will be off before you can say 'man on'.

I always thought the Premier League had taken a huge risk going down this regulatory road. As with Manchester City's future, nobody knows what the real long-term ramifications will be.

I have a suspicion it could end up being the greatest own goal in the sport's entire history.

The big take: If City are cast out of England's top leagues, what might the owners do – hang around the lower reaches, or find something else? Wasn't there the idea of a Super League? Keep that thought in the back of your mind.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Most of the time it is not that big a deal if you go into the international break having just lost a club game if I am honest, as teams lose games frequently.

That is just the life of a professional footballer. You have to be able to cope with disappointment as an individual and as a team.

‌Admittedly, players will sometimes say that they want another domestic game quickly, but it is almost always specifically after a 'bad' defeat as opposed to just a run-of-the-mill loss.

‌However, if the team has genuinely played terribly, or lost a game they were expected to win comfortably, you will commonly hear the phrase "we want to have a chance to get back out there and put it right quickly".

‌Players who have had a stinker, even if their team won, might also want to get out again as soon as possible to put it right in front of their fans, or 'reset'. The 'reset' argument is just current football jargon to say, "we will try to get it right next time, and we blew it this week, sorry".

‌The international break can also have the beneficial effect of taking your mind away from a bad defeat. This is not to say that you don't care, it is just that you must compartmentalise your thoughts and feelings. Footballers are among the best at this.

‌You simply cannot go to play for your national team and spend the time brooding about what happened against Brentford last week. That way lies madness and another poor performance, only this time in front of the entire nation.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

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We asked you to rate Sunderland's start to the season and tell us what Regis le Bris should be focusing on during this extended international break.

Here are some of your comments:

Simon: Not too worried about points tally as our performances have been great and we are obviously competitive against the top teams. Concerns, as we all have, about goals, but hopefully Brobbey's hat-trick was the start of a 20 league goals season for him.

Stuart: Superb start. Took a few games but the defence is starting to look like the incredibly tight ship we're getting used to. Consistency is what impressed last season, and first few weeks' results won't define the season.

Andrew: It's been a tough start but we have equipped ourselves well against the top teams. With European football, I can see a mid-table finish. Some very important extended contracts signed.

Michael: I'd be hard-pressed to say too much negative about us at this point in the season. It'd be good to have a few more points on the board, but we've clearly shown we're not afraid of the bigger games, and we're finally showing some of the clinical finishing we've needed for so long. If we can tidy up the defensive lines and be stronger when we're against the counter-attack, I'd be thrilled. Brighton will be a good first test of this. All in all, solid performances in need of a few more results, but we're always a work in progress.

Mark: It's a decent start I'd imagine most Sunderland fans would struggle to find much, if anything, to moan about.