Sunderland’s first season back in the Premier League has thrown up some memorable away days.
Across nineteen league fixtures, there have been a couple of very disappointing afternoons where the Lads really didn’t turn up — but set against that have been some outstanding performances when the team has gone onto opponents’ turf and more than held their own.
After a convincing opening-day home win over West Ham, our first away day was against familiar opponents, with a familiar outcome.
Scott Parker’s
Burnley inflicted a 2-0 defeat courtesy of the ‘twenty four point advantage’ they carried forward from the Championship placings. But only one team will be playing in the Premier League next season, and only one manager has been nominated as a contender for Premier League Manager of the Season.
Up next were fixtures against teams who had both qualified for Europe and who would provide a litmus test as to how capable Sunderland were of competing at this level. A gritty 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace F.C. was followed by a 0-1 victory on the banks of the Trent against Nottingham Forest. The boys were definitely back in town!
However, the euphoria soon subsided as Régis Le Bris got the tactics and lineup badly wrong against Manchester Utd in a 2-0 defeat. It was a game that amply demonstrated the limitations of Arthur Masuaku, who would depart in January.
If Le Bris got it terribly wrong against Manchester United, he got it terribly right on the next trip. Roared on by a raucous away end in the famous Shed End as Wilson Isidor levelled the scores before Chemsdine Talbi curled home a glorious injury-time winner against Chelsea.
Unfortunately, the next trip to the capital was less successful as the Lads succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at Fulham, who would become the only team to do the double over us this season.
As deflating as that result was, the next trip to Anfield was disappointing for a very different reason. Again, Talbi was the man on the spot to level the scores but Isidor failed to make the most of a one-on-one situation which would’ve brought all three points home.
Then, it was back to the North West against Manchester City, and defeat was almost as predictable as Luke O’Nien’s red card as AFCON and the much-anticipated (by our rivals) implosion loomed.
Instead, the Lads headed south twice to grind out uninspiring but important draws against Brighton and Spurs, but the next three trips to the capital proved a bridge too far. Brentford took advantage of the squad’s lack of depth without its African contingent, running out 3-0 winners before injury robbed the team of the vital presence of Granit Xhaka.
West Ham and Arsenal both cashed in, scoring three goals as the quest for the magic forty-point mark proved frustratingly elusive. But another trip south was more fruitful as Eliezer Mayenda’s poacher’s finish earned a point against Bournemouth.
A celebratory evening at Elland Road then beckoned, where Habib Diarra’s penalty finally took us to the first target for the season — forty points being reached.
With that achievement safely under their belts, it was on to St James’ Park to complete the double over the team whose supporters had been gleefully looking forward to six easy points from us!
“1-0 down, 1-2 up, Brian Brobbey wrapped it up!”
Second target for the season: doing the double over the Mags.
Next up was a bit of end-of-season madness as Le Bris’ attempt at more attacking tactics let Aston Villa rattle up a lead, before the Lads fought back to a 4-3 defeat.
The penultimate away day was to the wonderfully old-fashioned Molineux Stadium, where the home fans entertained us by singing “Couldn’t score in a brothel” to their own strikers before Nordi Mukiele hit the back of the net.
After that, it was a couple of rousing choruses of “Lincoln away, Olé, Olé, Olé” from the Wolves supporters before Dan Ballard earned a red card for grabbing Tolu Arokodare’s shirt and catching a few strands of the striker’s flowing locks— yet the ten men still held on for a point.
And so to Everton.
The special bond between the two clubs was evident before kick off, as both sets of fans paid tribute to Bradley Lowery on what would have been his fifteenth birthday. With a European place still in reach of both teams, this was anything but a tame end-of-season, mid-table affair. After undeservedly falling behind to a deflected goal, Brian Brobbey, Enzo Le Fée and Wilson Isidor ensured that the Lads finished their away fixtures in style.
There may have been a few disappointing performances along the way, but they’ve more than been outweighed by some gritty showings, and a sprinkling of outstanding moments. Picking up twenty one points away from home is not to be underestimated, especially for a newly-promoted team.
So, with one home game left, European football is still within our grasp. And as an away bonus, next season, Coventry City won’t be able to rip us off with their outrageous ticket prices.
