Matchday Musings: From Despair To Elation As Sunderland Turn It Around!

After disappointment at Craven Cottage last weekend, where an uncharacteristically stale performance consigned us to only our third defeat of the season, Saturday’s game took on greater importance with a tough run to follow.

Régis Le Bris elected to reshuffle the pack, bringing in Omar Alderete and Chemsdine Talbi, with Lutsharel Geertruida and Trai Hume dropping to the bench in a clear attempt to give us more offensive impetus.

With Wearside providing a grey and wet backdrop for Saturday afternoon’s proceedings, it promised to be a slippery affair — and hazardous it was.

Despite our bright start, within seven minutes, the conditions claimed a first victim in Nordi Mukiele, whose slip allowed our former man Antoine Semenyo in down the left. The in-form winger’s cross found Evanilson, who knocked it against the post before the ball fell fortuitously for Amine Adli, who drew first blood.

While we responded well to the early setback, a wayward Talbi pass from a corner sold his teammates short and Tyler Adams picked up the loose ball before audaciously trying his luck from the centre circle.

With Robin Roefs backpedalling, he could do nothing more than helplessly flap at the sensational effort as it sailed into his empty net. A cruel blow, but one that proved just how unforgiving the top flight can be.

However, as has so often been the case this term, we refused to let our heads drop, countering the visitors with increased purpose and vigour. Enzo Le Fée was central to this, so it was only right that when we were awarded a penalty following a foul on Reinildo Mandava in the twenty sixth minute, he stepped up to reduce the arrears.

As the rain continued to cascade down and the stadium’s drainage system was put to the test, the game became increasingly open, with both sides looking to break.

After the interval, we seized the initiative almost immediately, restoring parity with a brilliant move spearheaded by Granit Xhaka as our Swiss maestro threaded the through to Bertrand Traore, who beat Djordje Petrovic at his near post.

Thankfully, our blushes were spared moments later, with the Cherries having the ball in the back of the net, only for a VAR review to come to our rescue.

Our build up was superb down the right, with Traoré and substitute Brian Brobbey both denied by Petrovic, and with our tails up, a pinpoint Le Fée corner in the seventieth minute met Brobbey, who deftly headed home to complete a magnificent comeback.

Bournemouth probed — including Marcus Tavernier sending a piledriver against the crossbar in the dying embers — but this was a terrific display that comprised all the characteristics we’ve come to associate with this Sunderland side: dogged determination, resilience, belief, and all topped with real quality.

In arguably our most open game of the season so far, Le Bris got it tactically spot on again — doing what Bournemouth were attempting to do, but with more clinical edge. This showing just reinforced that Le Fée is at his best in the middle of the park and dictating in key areas, with Xhaka sweeping up behind him.

Drawing comparisons between ourselves and a club like Bournemouth would’ve seemed preposterous before the Cherries’ unlikely back-to-back promotions a little over a decade ago. Yet, ten years on, sharing similarities with Saturday’s opponent was actually testament to how far we’ve come since Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’ takeover — and not just because of the result.

In a period where football deals in dirty money, political scandal, and corruption controversy, Bournemouth – akin to the likes of Brighton, Brentford, and Crystal Palace — are pertinent reminder of football existing in an alternate universe where common sense prevails, operational efficiency comes to the fore, and forward-thinking recruitment strategies are self-sustaining.

The footballing community is beginning to recognise Sunderland as one of the bastions of this new-wave approach, and Saturday’s victory showcased everything great about our model.