Sunderland

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

Image source, Getty Images

Enzo le Fee spoke to BBC Radio Newcastle after Sunderland's opening victory over West Ham: "It is really good to start with three points at home, but it is only three points - we know we need more.

"I am ready. Even if I only had two minutes, I am ready to help the team. Everybody has to have this mindset because it is never just a first xi that finishes a season. Everyone wants to start, and hopefully he [Regis le Bris] trusts me for this season. I have to do the job for him and the club.

"It was a really good atmosphere, it was looking like the play-off game against Coventry. If we can have this every time we are at home it will be incredible. I know the fans will be behind us and it's really important."

• Listen to Le Fee on BBC Sounds

Steven Wyeth
Final score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland deservedly received huge credit for the second-half performance that swept aside West Ham on their Premier League return. However, an assured, resilient and mature opening 45 minutes should not be overlooked.

The rumbustious atmosphere, after eight turbulent years away from the top flight, might have resulted in a cavalier reaction, favouring a more experienced opponent.

Instead, Sunderland's players kept their emotions in check, stuck to Regis le Bris' well-constructed gameplan and neutralised West Ham's only period of superiority. That ability to channel the Stadium of Light's joyous enthusiasm laid the foundation for victory.

Meanwhile, one player's misfortune might have inadvertently been a significant contributing factor to the Black Cats' victorious day. Jenson Seelt had more reason than most to relish the occasion, starting a competitive game for the first time since a knee injury in March of last year.

However, it was a return that lasted just 53 minutes, the unlucky Dutch defender landing heavily after a towering defensive header. It was a sliding doors moment because his replacement, debutant Omar Alderete, was the player to finally expose the weakness identified in the Hammers' defence.

Eight minutes after his introduction Alderete delivered the cross from which Eliezer Mayenda scored the opening goal and from that moment there was an inevitable feel about Sunderland getting three points.

Sunderland and Burnley are both interested in Copenhagen's Brazilian centre-back Gabriel Pereira, 25. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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

Here are some of your comments:

Sunderland fans

Colin: Outstanding performance by the lads in red and white. We needed to start on the front foot and boy did we do that. Great win and hoping to build on that.

Terry: The performance and the goals were just brilliant. You could see what it meant to the fans and the players by the pure passion displayed by every one in the stadium. I would have LOVED to have been there! Liked the comment by the commentator likening Dan Ballard's goal to Niall Quinn!

David: A truly emotional and memorable return to the Premier League for the club and fans, with hugely encouraging performances from all of the debutants resulting in an important win. A long way to go, of course, but on this evidence there could be a lot of people outside of Wearside eating humble pie come the end of the season.

Tom: It's an incredible time to be a Sunderland supporter. I'm very pleased to see the three goalscorers were players who got the club where they are now.

Russell: I've followed Sunderland since the 1973 cup final and this season is the most confident I've been about a good start for a long, long time.

Craig: Championship play-off semis: Sunderland won't win. Final: they won't win. Get promoted: Sunderland are coming straight back down. Proving the naysayers wrong is what we what we love to do! More please.

West Ham fans

Tom: If you have a bad season, look at what was wrong and fix it. Or, in our case, just ignore it and hope for the best. This result was as inevitable. Either Potter is a poor manager or he's just being handcuffed by poor owners. It's going to be VERY hard to find three worse teams than us this season. I don't think there are.

Michael: Trouble is with our midfield - there's no energy or bite in there. To be honest, if they could shake it up between now and when the window shuts, we'd be OK. Probably need to offload four or five players and get in four or five younger and hungrier ones.

Derek: For 60 minutes we looked OK and were really troubling Sunderland. Then, like a deck of cards, we folded. I have to question Freddie Potts not starting after playing every pre-season game. Our midfield must be the slowest in the league. This needs addressing asap and we also badly need a striker.

Adrian: Same old, same old. Don't look fit enough, don't look hungry enough. Might as well keep Potter's post-match interview and play it each week. Fans deserve better.

Colin: First half was fair - the rest of the game West Ham were rubbish. Last season all over again. It's a shame for the fans becaiuse we expected more from Potter and the squad.

Rob: We've started where we finished off last season. Can't say I expected anything else when a club I've supported for over 50 years doesn't back the manager with top-class signings that never happen year in, year out. Yet another stressful season for us Hammers fans!

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

Last season, we had to wait until 5 October for any of the three promoted clubs - Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton - to get their first victory.

Recent history suggests a fast start is crucial for promoted top-flight sides. In the past 10 seasons, all 12 promoted clubs who have accrued 11 points or more in their opening 10 games have avoided relegation.

By contrast, only two of the 18 teams with 10 or fewer points after the same number of matches have stayed up.

Burnley were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Thomas Frank's Tottenham on Saturday afternoon, while Leeds - who welcome Everton to Elland Road on Monday - have their work cut out to match Sunderland's memorable opening-day triumph.

With games coming up against the newly promoted Clarets, and a Brentford side in transition following Frank's departure, Le Bris and his players will fancy their chances of building on their phenomenal start.

Former England international - and Sunderland fan - Steph Houghton told Final Score: "We've got to look to go to Burnley and try and win the game. We'll definitely be going into the match full of confidence.

"Le Bris has built a young squad with lots of pace, especially in forward areas. When you create those chances you have to take them and that's exactly what they did.

"The Sunderland fans always make plenty of noise and hopefully they can make Turf Moor feel like the Stadium of Light next weekend."

Ex-England striker Wayne Rooney told BBC Match of the Day: "The signs are excellent. They played a lot of debutants but the organisation was very similar to how they played last season. There was a lot of energy about Sunderland.

"We saw last season the promoted teams coming up, trying to play and be expansive - and you can't do that. Sunderland showed you can get results if you are organised, work hard and stay together as a team."

Former Sunderland defender Gary Bennett told BBC Radio Newcastle: "We have to remember the giant strides we have made.

"The big question was, after signing all those players: would they gel together as a team? Today they answered that question."

• Hear more from Bennett and listen to the full-time scenes at the Stadium of Light

• And listen to midfielder Enzo le Fee talking to BBC Radio Newcastle

Pundits Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's opening Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

• Tottenham 3-0 Burnley

• Wolves 0-4 Manchester City

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland have bolstered their ranks with 11 new signings this summer, but their ability to keep their heads above water will depend largely on how well manager Regis Le Bris manages to mould his new recruits into a coherent unit.

The Frenchman could not have asked for a much better start on Saturday as his team defended diligently in the first half before a clinical second-half display secured an eye-catching victory over West Ham.

The experience and tenacity of former Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen captain Granit Xhaka is likely to be crucial this season, but the Black Cats' other new recruits also impressed against the Hammers, with Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki looking capable of forming a potent midfield alongside the veteran Swiss international.

Diarra perhaps should have given the home side an early lead after running on to Eliezer Mayenda's eye-of-the-needle pass, his shot striking Mads Hermansen and sailing over the crossbar for a corner, which came to nothing.

Sunderland fans may have been forgiven for wondering whether that missed opportunity would come back to haunt them, but they needn't have worried.

Summer signing Omar Alderete, who only entered the fray after Jenson Seelt had been forced off with a back injury, delivered a perfect cross for Mayenda to break the deadlock, and the Black Cats retained a firm grip on proceedings after that.

Remarkably, this was Sunderland's first Premier League win in August or September since 2012 - four seasons before they were relegated to the Championship - while their last victory in the opening month of a top-flight campaign was a 1-0 success over Manchester City in August 2010.

With games against fellow promoted side Burnley and Brentford coming up, Le Bris' team may fancy their chances of building on this impressive start.

• Listen to Sunderland boss Regis le Bris speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle

Image source, Getty Images

• In Eliezer Mayenda, Dan Ballard and Wilson Isidor, Sunderland are the first team to have three players score on their Premier League debut in the same match since Reading against Middlesborough in August 2006 (Dave Kitson, Steve Sidwell and Leroy Lita).

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

Have your say on Sunderland's performance

What did you make of West Ham's display?

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

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris hands Premier League debuts to seven summer signings, as Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, Reinildo Mandova, Chemsdine Talbi, Simon Adingra and goalkeeper Robin Roefs all starting.

Fellow new arrivals Enzo Le Fee, Marc Guiu, Omar Alderete are on the bench, but former Hammers defender Arthur Masuaku is not in the matchday squad.

Sunderland XI: Roefs, Hume, Seelt, Ballard, Reinaldo, Sadiki, Xhaka, Diarra, Talbi, Mayenda, Adingra

Subs: Patterson, Neil, Guiu, Roberts, Rigg, Alderete, Isidor, Le Fee, Jones

West Ham manager Graham Potter hands former Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen his Hammers debut, with Alphonse Areola having to settle for a place on the bench.

El Hadji Malick Diouf also starts, while Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson are named among the substitutes.

West Ham XI: Hermansen, Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd, Wan-Bissaka, Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse, Diouf, Bowen, Paqueta, Fullkrug

Subs: Areola, Walker-Peters, Alvarez, Wilson, Mavropanos, Soucek, Scarles, Potts, Irving

Five matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Aston Villa v Newcastle (12:30)

• Brighton v Fulham

• Sunderland v West Ham - BBC Radio 5 Live

• Tottenham v Burnley - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Wolves v Manchester City (17:30) - BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Sunderland have made so many changes that they are unrecognisable from the team that won promotion last season.

I love their ambition but I'm not sure it will keep them up. A good start is vital to the promoted teams - and how quickly will they gel?

There are question marks over West Ham too. They were feeble at times under Graham Potter after he took charge halfway through last season and, while he could argue that wasn't his team, he cannot have the same excuse now.

This is a big season for Potter and I think it will start well. West Ham have got enough nous to deal with the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light and leave with three points.

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Nick Barnes
Sunderland commentator on BBC Radio Newcastle  

Image source, Getty Images

Eight long years since Sunderland last graced the Premier League. Optimism is high. Expectation great. Excitement palpable.

The reality? It is virtually a brand new team.

Probably eight debutants and only two with Premier League experience in Granit Xhaka and Simon Adingra.

But in the words of the experienced Xhaka: "We're not here to take part we're here to make history."

It is brazen and bold but it strikes a chord among Sunderland fans.

They do not want to be one season wonders. They want to cement their place in the top flight.

Their previous 10- year stay saw them flirt with relegation virtually every season as managers came and managers went.

Now they have put their trust in Regis le Bris, an incumbent who has bucked a trend in staying in post for over a year and, while outside the North East they will unquestionably be the favourites to go straight back down, for Sunderland fans at home and abroad belief is strong and unequivocal.

Sunderland can stay up and the touchstone is the fairytale magic they weaved in the play-off semi-finals and final.

The club is leaving no stone unturned to give it their very best shot.

Listen to full commentary of Sunderland v West Ham on BBC Radio Newcastle from 15:00 BST on Saturday

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

Sunderland begin their first Premier League campaign since 2017 at home to a West Ham United side hoping to improve following a mixed a start under Graham Potter. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes before the opener.

Can Sunderland spring a surprise on top-flight return?

Sunderland return to the Premier League for the first time in eight years as the makings of a surprise package.

The newly promoted team have so far spent a net total of around £100m on transfers and although Jobe Bellingham has departed to the Bundesliga, 11 new arrivals have sparked hopes that rather than simply surviving, Sunderland may even prosper on their return to top-flight football.

Only Burnley have signed more players so far this summer and the Black Cats' new recruits may well take time to gel.

A crucial part of their transfer policy has been to attract players with Premier League experience: Sunderland began the summer transfer window with a squad totalling just 25 Premier League appearances, and only two starts, split between Simon Moore, Ian Poveda, Patrick Roberts, Leo Hjelde and Niall Huggins.

They have since signed Granit Xhaka, who made 225 Premier League appearances during his seven-year stint with Arsenal, along with Brighton winger Simon Adingra (60 Premier League appearances) and Chelsea forward Marc Guiu (three Premier League appearances).

Hammers aiming to improve after tough 2024-25

Sunderland face a West Ham side who underwhelmed following the arrival of Graham Potter last season. The Hammers averaged 1.11 points per game and a 28% win rate in Potter's 18 Premier League matches in charge in 2024-25, lower than predecessor Julen Lopetegui's 1.15 pts per game and 30% win rate last season.

Potter's West Ham also lagged behind in various metrics as his possession-based style of football struggled to take hold.

Potter 'happy' with transfer window

In contrast to the opening-day opponents, West Ham's transfer window has been a little quieter. Potter has said he is "very happy" with the club's business despite losing Mohammed Kudus to London rivals Tottenham for £55m.

The Irons have added experienced Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer, along with Leicester City goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and Slavia Prague defender El Hadji Malick Diouf, while their search for goals has so far been pinned on the signing of free agent Callum Wilson following his departure from Newcastle.

It is a risk for an injury-prone player who turns 34 in February – Wilson managed only two Premier League starts last season and scored just once in 22 appearances in all competitions.

West Ham, though, have been boosted by the availability of key midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who escaped punishment after a spot-fixing investigation by the FA for alleged deliberate bookings was found to be unproven.

Since joining from Lyon for an initial £36.5m in August 2022, Paqueta tops the club's rankings for tackles, duels won, possession won and successful passes while only Jarrod Bowen has created more chances and provided a greater tally of assists.

Hanging on to the 55-cap Brazil international until the end of the transfer window could be West Ham's best business of the summer.

Joe Rindl
BBC Sport journalist

How each promoted side starts the season is one of the best indicators when it comes to survival chances.

Every promoted side over the past 10 seasons with 11 points or more after 10 games has survived, while taking fewer than that has meant an almost guaranteed return to the Championship.

It'll be worth bookmarking this article and returning to it on 1 November. That's when all three promoted teams should have played 10 matches - although fixture dates can still be changed.

Incidentally, the two survivors - despite poor starts - were Bournemouth in 2015-16 (eight points after 10 games) and Nottingham Forest in 2022-23 (five points after 10 games).

Simon Pryde of BBC Radio Newcastle gives his verdict on their Premier League chances:

Eight years in the wilderness and Sunderland are now about to embark on their latest Premier League campaign, with the landscape of the league having changed dramatically in that relatively short time.

The gulf between the Championship and Premier League is at its widest

Now Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton are the shining examples of clubs who have bucked the trend of yo-yoing between the Premier League and Championship, with recruitment models the envy of many clubs.

While Sunderland have their own model of sustainability with a heavy emphasis on youth and academy-grown talent, they have bitten the bullet and spent more than £100m in the transfer market in a bid to stay up.

Sunderland are being reshaped and the owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has to be applauded in his ambition. The financial decisions this summer will not have been taken lightly nor rashly.

There is a renewed optimism and Sunderland fans will hope his vision and the incredible journey - the seeds of which were sown with a return to the Championship in 2022 - can continue in the Premier League.

But a fast start is crucial.

Read the full piece

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Sport's TV and radio commentators have picked two Sunderland players who will be worth watching out for in the next few months.

Simon Adingra

Age: 23 Position: Winger Country: Ivory Coast

Jonathan Pearce: I wish Simon Adingra well at Sunderland. This talented Ivorian had a really good first season at Brighton, famously scoring at Ajax to send the travelling fans there into delirium.

He started last season well, too, with four goals in his first eight games, but then the confidence in his tricky dribbling fell away. He seemed to be trying almost too hard to hold off the challenge from Yankuba Minteh for his place, and his performances suffered.

I hope Sunderland fans are excited by him. £18m is not a lot for a player who deserves to succeed in his fresh start

Habib Diarra

Age: 21 Position: Midfielder Country: Senegal

Guy Mowbray: Can a club record signing be classed as a 'wildcard'? Well, given that Diarra will be new to most Premier League watchers, I'm putting him in that bracket.

Only 21, the midfielder - who Sunderland beat Leeds to sign - captained Strasbourg to European qualification last season, before scoring one of Senegal's three goals against England at the City Ground in June.

His quality stood out when I went to watch Sunderland's pre-season game against Sporting last month.

Enzo Le Fee

Age: 25 Position: Midfield Country: France

Steven Wyeth: Sunderland's 2025 business throws up plenty of 'ones to watch' and January loan arrival Enzo le Fee certainly has the attributes to succeed in the Premier League, with the added motivation of a point to prove.

It is just over a year since Roma parted with good money to sign Le Fee on the back of his performances in France for Rennes and Lorient. An early season injury, and managerial instability that surfaced while he was sidelined were significant in what became a transient spell in the Eternal City.

Now, a talent who thrives on creative responsibilities gets another shot in one of Europe's major leagues, and this time under the tutelage of a manager, Regis le Bris, who previously guided him through the ranks at Lorient.

Read the full piece here

Image source, Getty Images

We have looked into the age profile of Sunderland's players for the 2025-26 season and recorded what percentage of minutes each of them played last campaign.

For the purpose of this exercise, we have deemed those under 24 as youth, between 24 and 30 as in their peak years and anyone over 30 to be a veteran.

The green represents new signings, who naturally did not play, red are those that have since left the club and yellow are all those that remain.

As expected, Sunderland's squad skews heavily towards the youth category - and their summer signings have continued in the same vein.

While some clubs come into the Premier League and seek experience, the Black Cats have largely gone the other way, though Granit Xhaka's installation as captain may well have a deeper impact generally.

Ultimately, if several of the green dots here can play a healthy number of minutes - pushing up towards the top of the chart - it will prove priceless for the club.