John Wilson says…
One of the early standout moments for me was the Brentford game.
After a brilliant opening home win, we’d come slightly back down to earth with a defeat away to Burnley. How would we respond? After going
a goal behind, the visitors were awarded a penalty and I’ve rarely heard a roar so loud that wasn’t for scoring a goal. Robin Roefs’ save nearly brought the roof off!
That spurred the team on, and when Enzo Le Fée scored our own spot kick late in the game, we didn’t sit back and be happy with a point — we continued to push for a win, which came in the 96th minute from Wilson Isidor. What jubilation and relief!
To come from behind and snatch all three points just reaffirmed the belief that we could compete and match, teams in this league. Happy days!
Lee Morrison says…
I was going to opt for Marc Guiu’s goal against Huddersfield but alas, it’s the performance against Brentford, and specifically how we responded to adversity.
Previous versions of Sunderland AFC — even in fairly recent years — would typically crumble at home when the opposition score in the last fifteen minutes of the game. However, this bunch of players seem to be built differently.
I’ve used the term “mentality monsters” before and it felt particularly apt against Brentford. We rallied well to get level but the spirit of the team was personified by Wilson Isidor.
Scoring the last minute winner having just seen his daughter born the day before summed up the spirit of the team. Isidor himself described it as a “fairytale” moment. Hopefully it’s one of many over the course of this season, as we continue to back the Lads.
Matthew Crichton says…
My standout moment so far was the Aston Villa match at home.
You’d usually expect the West Ham win given it was 3-0, but Villa was our first big big test. Champions League quarter-finalists, a plethora of experienced internationals everywhere you looked — and for big nations, too.
When Reinildo was sent off, as a promoted side you often think “OK, let’s just prevent this from being embarrassing — a potential two, three or four-nil”. My initial worry was in the shape of flashbacks to Middlesbrough at home in 2023, when Dan Neil was sent off and we ended up conceding four. After such a good start the last thing, we needed was something to spoil the buzz, but in fact we got the opposite.
Despite going 0-1 down, Sunderland didn’t roll over. We didn’t behave like a team scared of defeat or who accept they’re prime relegation candidates. We had a hell of a go, managed to reclaim a point and it just gave me so much confidence in our new players that we can get a result from anyone.
Teams aren’t setting up against Sunderland thinking they’re going to walk all over us and eyeing up a thrashing. So far, we’ve been respected as a Premier League side and even when down to ten men, I back us to get a result.
There’s a real belief building amongst fans and the players that we’re always in the game and getting a point against the odds against Villa was a great stepping stone to help build that.
Now when we go down to ten or behind against a big side, we can always look back to that match to remember what we can do.
Tom Albrighton says…
The standout moment for me so far has to be that first Premier League goal.
Not many people would’ve put money on an Eliezer Mayenda header to open our account but that goal could’ve come off his backside for all I care — it was an almost ethereal moment.
After waiting so long and so patiently, and given the lows we’ve seen, Mayenda’s goal felt like we’d reached the summit of our ambitions. It wasn’t a goal that’ll be seared into the memory like iconic goals of the past, but it was the goal; the goal that said “We’re back”
The celebrations spoke for themselves and whilst nothing will replicate the scenes at Wembley or Dan Ballard’s header against Coventry, it was as close as you’ll get to those under normal circumstances.
The release, the joy, the affirmation…it was a moment that had it all and even writing about it now still brings a smile to my face.
