Sunderland

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Sunderland assistant head coach Luciano Vulcano has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Carabao Cup second-round tie against League One Huddersfield Town at the Stadium of Light (19:45 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Valcano gave an update on the fitness of defender Dan Ballard who was substituted early in Saturday's defeat at Burnley: "He is having a scan today - we will know more information about it in the next few hours. We all hope he will only be out for a short time because we need all the players."

• On potential rotation in the Carabao Cup: "We respect every match so tomorrow will be a good starting XI. Regis is thinking about these things but we will respect the cup. Maybe some players will have some chances but we will see."

• Vulcano emphasised how seriously the Black Cats will take the cup competitions: "Every match is an opportunity to show our style of play, our commitment to the badge for our fans. We want to go to the next chapter in this cup."

• Asked how did his appointment as Regis le Bris' assistant came about, Vulcano said: "We were in touch last season but the timing was not the best because I was moving to Saudi Arabia. When there was the possibility over this summer, I had two or three possibilities to join clubs as an assistant or head coach. I felt the trust from Regis and the leadership group. It was easy for to choose Sunderland because it felt right."

• On Le Bris: "It's really good because he gives you the calm to face any challenge. If you are too much under pressure you face the challenge in a poor way. He's really good in sharing these feelings and we are trying, every one of us, to be like him. I am learning. He is really welcoming because I can go in his office any moment. His side of being open is really important for me."

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Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland need to be more clinical if they are to keep up with "the standards of the Premier League", says Black Cats midfielder Noah Sadiki, after his side lost 2-0 away to Burnley on Saturday.

"Losing is never a fun part of football," Sadiki told BBC Radio Newcastle post-match at Turf Moor.

"But I think we have a chance to lift it up against Huddersfield and Brentford. Nothing is done - we are not relegated and we are not champions. It's a loss and we can learn from it.

"It might have been a different story [had Eliezer Mayenda and Chemsdine Talbi taken their chances], but if you don't score, you don't win - it's as simple as that. We didn't finish and we weren't clinical, but you can't blame them.

"For the next game, we need to be clinical if we want to win - that's the standards in the Premier League."

When asked how he was finding the step up from the Championship, Sadiki added: "It's a higher level than where I was. I'm happy to be here but I also want to show that I'm here. I'm not here to just hang around - I want to win as many games as possible.

"I'm happy to be here but that's not all I want."

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Burnley and Sunderland.

Here are some of your comments:

Burnley fans

Graham: Burnley played much better football in last week's defeat but showed the resilience required to survive in the Premier League. Two excellent goals displayed our resolve, and emphasised that we can make Turf Moor a fortress. That there are players still to come into the team and contribute makes me optimistic.

Reg: Burnley got away with one... defending was below Premier League standard, especially in the first half.

Gareth: Huge result that should give us some confidence for the tough-looking fixtures to come. Excellent game management after we got the first goal, showing organisation and resilience that was horribly lacking in our last season at this level. Promising signs.

Sunderland fans

Jeff: Sunderland always flatter to deceive - maybe it was the 'unknown' factor with the Hammers, but Burnley know how to beat us.

Clive: I thought beforehand this would be a trickier test than last week. Losing Ballard early on didn't help. Huff and puff seemed to be the display.

John: Last week, everything clicked. This week, nothing clicked.

Pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Sautrday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Brentford 1-0 Aston Villa

• Burnley 2-0 Sunderland

• Arsenal 5-0 Leeds

Sam Drury
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

After eight years away from the top flight, no one could begrudge Sunderland revelling in their 3-0 victory over West Ham on their Premier League return.

A week on, though, and it is back down to earth with a bump.

While there was the odd moment, the new signings that shone so brightly on the opening day were unable to repeat that display at Turf Moor.

It might have been different had Eliezer Mayenda converted a brilliant chance in the opening four minutes but once that was squandered it quickly became a difficult day for Regis Le Bris' side.

Losing Dan Ballard was a big blow and they will hope the injury to big centre-back is not a serious one.

Even after that, they created a good chance for Chemsdine Talbi but that came in the 14th minute and the concern will be that they did not so much as muster another shot from inside the area until the 81st minute - and no further real chances.

Just two games in and with three points on the board, there is quite clearly no reason to panic but after the bold predictions that followed the victory last week, this was a stark reminder of the harsh reality that lies ahead.

Missed chances will be punished and home form will be crucial.

Regis Le Bris spoke to BBC Sport after Sunderland's defeat against Burnley: "We started well, our first half was good. We created two big chances but didn't score. In this game it was really important to get the first goal because it changes everything.

"It is still work in progress because we have a new team and new squad. It is a long process, you need to learn from different experiences. Let's move on.

"We were not strong enough, it is simple to say that - just work more. It will be a different challenge next week.

"We need time. You cannot create strong connections, especially in tight spaces, just after two or three weeks. It is not possible.

"We want to learn quickly, we want to win. We know what went wrong today."

Did you know?

Having been subbed off in the 63rd minute and recording just one pass in his time on the field, Sunderland's Eliezer Mayenda become only the third player on Opta's records (from 2003-04) to play 60+ minutes of a Premier League match and make no more than one pass, after Hameur Bouazza for Watford v Wigan in September 2006, and Brennan Johnson for Nottingham Forest v Brighton in October 2022.

Listen to Le Bris' chat with BBC Radio Newcastle here

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Burnley's performance

What did you make of Sunderland's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Scott Parker makes two changes to the Burnley side beaten 3-0 at Tottenham last Saturday.

Jacob Bruun Larsen and Lesley Oguchukwu, who makes his first competitive start for the Clarets, come in with the displaced Oliver Sonne and Josh Laurent among the substitutes.

Burnley XI: Dubravka, Walker, Esteve, Ekdal, Hartman, Bruun Larsen, Cullen, Ugochukwu, Hannibal, Anthony, Foster.

Subs: Weiss, Worrall, Edwards, Tchaouna, Flemming, Ramsey, Sonne, Pires, Laurent.

Centre-back Omar Alderete comes in for his full Premier League debut as Regis Le Bris makes just one change to the Sunderland XI that started last weekend's 3-0 win over West Ham.

Jenson Seelt, who was replaced by Alderete early in the second half last week, drops to the bench.

Sunderland XI: Roefs, Hume, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo, Xhaka, Sadiki, Diarra, Talbi, Adringra, Mayenda.

Subs: Patterson, Neil, Guiu, Roberts, Rigg, Isidor, Seelt, Masuaku, Le Fee.

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Manchester City v Tottenham (12:30)

• Bournemouth v Wolves

• Brentford v Aston Villa - BBC Radio 5 Live

• Burnley v Sunderland - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Arsenal v Leeds (17:30) - BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

I wrote Sunderland off months ago at the end of last season, but they surprised me last week with a hell of a win against West Ham.

Those two headers from Eliezer Mayenda and Dan Ballard were absolutely brilliant and they deserved their victory.

Burnley had their moments against Tottenham but they didn't take them. They will need to get a foothold in this season sooner rather than later.

This one stinks of a draw. I think it'll be close and Burnley will want more, but Sunderland will be satisfied with their start.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

The first meeting between newly promoted sides takes place this weekend with Burnley and Sunderland experiencing contrasting fortunes during the first round of matches.

Burnley's impressive 100-point promotion campaign was largely underpinned by two key principles – a near-perfect home record and a watertight defence.

The Clarets conceded just 16 goals in 46 Championship games last term but shipped three in an afternoon on their Premier League return last Saturday. Scott Parker's side performed admirably at Tottenham despite the defeat, and the 3-0 scoreline perhaps flattered their hosts.

A return to Lancashire provides a fresh opportunity for Burnley to open their Premier League account and they were unbeaten on home soil last season, with 14 wins and nine draws from their 23 matches at Turf Moor in 2024-25.

Burnley's first home match of 2024-25 was a 5-0 thrashing of Cardiff City, and although a similar result would be welcomed by all connected to the club, it doesn't appear likely. The team were wasteful in north London on Saturday and failed to take any of the 12 chances they created.

Fan favourite Ashley Barnes was not involved at Spurs but the 35-year-old is the top Premier League scorer in the squad with a respectable 42 goals.

He is also their only current player to reach double figures in the division. The next nearest to his total are Armando Broja and Kyle Walker with eight apiece. Last season's 18-goal top scorer Josh Brownhill has also departed the club and so the simple question remains: where are Burnley's goals going to come from?

Finding the net was not a problem for Sunderland on the opening day as they put three unanswered goals past West Ham at a pulsating Stadium of Light.

It was their first victory in the opening month of a top-flight campaign for 15 years and although the club have made 12 signings, Saturday's three scorers all featured heavily in last season's promotion campaign, a fact that head coach Regis le Bris was quick to recognise.

"They showed they can step up today," he said after the match. "They are really important because they keep the identity of the club and the way we worked last season."

The Black Cats could now win their opening two matches of a top-flight season for the first time since 1980-81. They avoided relegation on the final day of that campaign 44 years ago, and three points here would provide a big boost to their chances of survival before the summer is even over.

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

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

You can listen to Le Bris speak to BBC Radio Newcastle's Nick Barnes here.

And here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Le Bris confirmed there were no injury concerns for the visit to Turf Moor.

• He stated that the squad has had a great connection from the beginning, especially from "a human perspective as well as football perspective".

• On pursuing more defenders: "I think we need competition to be consistent in this league and we need the competition for the squad. Also for the position as well, because of injuries and suspension, but also because of the different style of play we will have to face."

• The Black Cats boss said that "we will see" if there are any more signings made before the end of the transfer window.

• On potential sales: "The flow of this transfer window is always a bit weird; sometimes it is very slow, but probably next week, many movements will appear. We will have options, so we will see. I hope so (on moving players on)."

• Le Bris also reiterated that they "want to reinforce the squad if it makes sense". There is still a possibility of bringing in another defender but it "needs to be the right profile."

• On Dan Ballard: "I am not surprised by his performance because he showed it in the play-offs. The main challenge for him is to repeat week after week, and it is always the main problem. We have many talented players but the main challenge will be the ability to repeat."

• On Burnley: "They enjoyed a really strong season last year, really consistent, hard to beat, they conceded few goals and they were always well organised. I don't think it'll be different and they still have many threats to score goals. It'll be difficult because they changed their system, but at the same time, we will have a different team with players who played last season but new players as well, so it is always a new story."

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

Nick Barnes
BBC Radio Newcastle commentator

Image source, Getty Images

I think it is fair to say Sunderland have defied all expectations when it comes to their summer recruitment.

Not only in terms of the money spent but in the number of players signed.

Unquestionably fans instinctively knew Sunderland's squad from the Championship needed strengthening for the Premier League campaign.

Five or six players with Premier League experience would conservatively have been a lot of people's estimation, but as to how much they would cost and whether that would be enough was always going to be the big question.

No-one really knew how much owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus would be prepared to spend with his model of sustainability at the forefront of everything the club has done in his tenure.

He and his team have blown everyone away with the money spent but also with the quality of the players signed.

Granit Xhaka is the standout example, but he's not the only one. Habib Diarra, Omar Alderete, Noah Sadiki, Simon Adingra, the list goes on.

The defeat of West Ham, albeit only one game, suggested all these players are comfortable in their Premier League skin.

The bonus was their three goals were scored by three players who came up with the team from the Championship.

It's a bold and ambitious bid to stay up but Sunderland fans are certainly backing them to do so.

How does it compare to other promoted clubs?

According to transfermarkt,, external Sunderland now top the all-time list for amount spent by a promoted club in the Premier League.

With a summer spend of £142m so far, both them, and fellow promoted side Burnley - who have spent £109m - are hoping for a solid return on their investment.

As far as the numbers go, the other four teams to have spent big upon their Premier League return have had mixed results.

Both Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest narrowly avoided the drop after busy summer windows following promotion, but are now playing in Europe.

However, last summer saw Southampton an Ipswich finish as the bottom two sides in the league.

Image source, Getty Images

Former striker Marco Gabbiadini believes Sunderland's new signings give the club a good chance of staying in the Premier League.

Speaking after their 3-0 win over West Ham, Gabbiadini said: "I'm not getting carried away but you've got to enjoy the moment.

"The fans have really bought in to what's going on this year and they actually believe that the club has had a really good go, they've spent the money and brought in players that give us a good chance of staying up.

"There's going to be a lot of competition [for places], and that's only a good thing for the fans. These are players that are coming in who are proper players and we won't have to suck it and see with these players, they are proven."

Nordi Mukiele became the 12th player to join the club this summer earlier this week.

The Black Cats summer spending currently stands at around £141.5m with over a week of the window remaining, and Gabbiadini feels that the squad depth will only help the manager.

"There's going to be games this season where we come up against the top sides and it isn't going to be a battle," he added.

"It isn't going to be about winning tussles or winning headers, because they won't move the ball off the ground and that might mean different type of games suits different types of players.

"These games, the West Hams, Burnleys and Brentfords, are huge games for us as these are the ones in theory that we have more chance of winning."

Listen on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Football Finance Writer Chris Weatherspoon says Sunderland "benefited" financially from playing League One football in four of the eight seasons since their relegation from the Premier League in 2017.

The Black Cats suffered consecutive relegations and spent four campaigns in the third tier before promotion back to the Championship in 2022.

After promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs last season the club have already spent £141.5m and are exploring a move for Leicester's Abdul Fatawu which would move them above Nottingham Forest's £142m spend in the summer of 2022 - a British record for a promoted club..

"The team that started the play-off final cost less than £10m to assemble and Rhian Brewster on the other side cost double that," said Weatherspoon.

"They got promoted pretty cheaply and that is why there has been surprise at how much they've spent this summer. I didn't expect them to spend this much.

"The owners hadn't spent a lot of money - there was one deal prior to them getting promoted which was over £3m and even that wasn't clear. In terms of the rules, that has given them the space to spend.

"Despite being out of the Premier League for eight years they've benefited from being in League One for four of them because they lost less money than they would have done from Championship wages. They haven't built up the level of loss that other clubs have from being in the Championship for a long time.

"With the broadcasting revenue, even if they were to finish bottom this season they would make around £110m.

"They have taken a bit of a measured gamble. They have spent big on three experienced players but the bulk of money they have spent this summer is on players under the age of 24.

"The measured gamble here is if they were to get relegated they are banking on being able to sell these players for good money next summer."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

The game I attended was at Sunderland where West Ham arrived to show the newcomers what the Premier League was all about. The Black Cats were singularly unimpressed, Graham Potter's side looked as lumpen and leggy as the opposition look sprightly and energetic.

Sunderland coach Regis Le Bris fielded seven debutants from the start and his team were anything but shy and nervous on their first outing. Take out the wily Granit Xhaka and the remaining five midfielders and attackers in red and white had an average age of less than 21. Only Simon Adingra had ever played in the Premier League before.

They still out-ran and out-thought West Ham. The 21-year-old Habib Diarra caught the eye with his unstoppable runs from deep in midfield but it felt like two different generations playing against each other; not to put too fine a point on it, many of the West Ham players looked old in comparison, a phrase every footballer hates to hear.

Sunderland are better than I thought but even with a 3-0 opening win and the excitement around the packed stadium there is a concern. Somewhere in amongst the wild enthusiasm they know that there might just a be a fragility to the team that could be crushed by bigger and better sides than the Hammers.

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Gavin Henderson
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

What a feeling. What an unbelievable feeling. It took us just over 3000 days to get back to the Premier League, and on Saturday it felt like Sunderland Association Football Club could finally let out a big, audible sigh of relief — we're back, and we don't plan on going anywhere.

We did ourselves proud. The fans were amazing and cheered every tackle and kick. The club put on a show as the world's media clapped eyes on us for the first time in years, and boy did they deliver. The players on the pitch, no matter how long they've been a Sunderland player, knew and understood just how much this occasion meant to the fans and ensured they left nothing on the pitch. And our coach, Regis le Bris, enacted the perfect gameplan. His side were organised and well-coached, and the elements of what made us special last season were still present despite the fact only three players from last year's side remained in that starting 11.

As kick-off approached and the tifo of the Lambton Worm was unfurled, I sensed that it was going to be our day. It just felt like, no matter what West Ham planned to do to us, we'd find a way to combat it. I felt that way when we played Coventry too, and it's not often in my life as a Sunderland supporter that I've felt those feelings, so when you do feel them you should trust your gut. We really earned that victory.

Despite the sheer amount of upheaval it seems poignant that the three players that scored the goals were lads who had such a massive part to play in our promotion. For the first, Eliezer Mayenda perfectly placed his header into Mads Hermansen's bottom corner; for the second, Dan Ballard did what he always does, and almost ripped a hole in the net with his nodded effort; and then for the third, Wilson Isidor cut inside and bent the ball around the goalie in trademark style to finish things off in style.

This, to me, is key. Despite the huge changes, the club must still ensure the talented lads that got us this far have a massive part to play, and providing they come up with the goods, they absolutely do.

We honestly could not have wished for a better start, and I'm so proud of everyone connected with the football club. Enjoy it - drink it in.

Find more from Gavin Henderson at Roker Report, external