Sunderland

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace: "I think we showed a great level of maturity. It was really important to stay composed because we felt the quality of Crystal Palace, they are a good side. We showed our intentions and I think our second half was very good."

On the form of Brian Brobbey: "He's getting better game after game. It's very important to have a strong striker and to build these performances progressively, and we can see now his team-mates are trusting him and feeding him. He has the ability to score which is so important for a striker.

"He's a fighter on the pitch, you can feel it. At the beginning of the game their centre-backs were strong and had the ability to manage his power, but progressively he gained the advantage.

"We have a specific identity here and a great connection with our fans. We have to use it. Even last season we felt this connection. We showed this energy on the pitch. Sometimes the football is not incredible, but the lads are always wanting to work and fight. At least when you show this quality you can feel this support.

"Let's work hard. It's not easy to win games in the Premier League, we know that. We will have to fight once again."

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Not for the first time this season, Sunderland showed tremendous character to preserve their unbeaten record at the Stadium of Light and cement their healthy position in the top half of the table.

The Black Cats have now won more points from losing positions this term - 16 - than they have in any other Premier League season, and more than any other promoted club since West Brom in 2010-11.

Only high-flying Aston Villa have come from behind to pick up more points than Regis le Bris' side in 2025-26.

If they can avoid defeat at home to Burnley in February, Sunderland will have set a new 12-match unbeaten home record by a promoted Premier League club.

Brian Brobbey's deft second-half finish was a fitting end to another committed display in front of their own supporters - albeit against a Palace side who have endured one of the toughest weeks in their recent history.

Sunderland fans can surely start to look forward to another year of Premier League football next season, but with Le Bris' team now only three points off fourth-placed Liverpool in the standings, Black Cats supporters could have even more to celebrate come the end of the campaign.

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 Crystal Palace's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Regis Le Bris makes four changes to the Sunderland team that started their FA Cup third-round tie at Everton.

Reinildo makes his first start for the club since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, with Omar Alderete, Dan Ballard and Brian Brobbey also coming in.

Dennis Cirkin, Luke O'Nien, Simon Adingra and Eliezer Mayenda drop to the bench.

Sunderland XI: Roefs, Hume, Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo, Le Fee, Xhaka, Sadiki, Mundle, Brobbey

Subs: Patterson, Cirkin, Neil, Geertruida, Rigg, Mayenda, O'Nien, Isidor, Adingra

Oliver Glasner makes two changes to the Crystal Palace team that drew with Aston Villa in their last Premier League game.

Jefferson Lerma returns after suffering a head injury against Newcastle two weeks ago, while Chris Richards is also restored to the side.

Jaydee Canvot is named on the bench, with Marc Guehi unavailable as he finalises a move to Manchester City.

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Lerma, Lacroix, Richards, Devenny, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell, Johnson, Pino, Mateta

Subs: Matthews, Benitez, Uche, Clyne, Canvot, Sosa, Imray, Riad, Drakes-Thomas

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

• Man Utd v Man City (12:30)

• Chelsea v Brentford - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Leeds v Fulham

• Liverpool v Burnley

• Sunderland v Crystal Palace

• Tottenham v West Ham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Nottingham Forest v Arsenal (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Chelsea v Brentford" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Nottingham Forest v Arsenal", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Crystal Palace have not won any of their past nine games in all competitions and their FA Cup defeat at Macclesfield was a huge embarrassment.

Eagles boss Oliver Glasner made changes for that tie which did not work and the squad depth is clearly not there to cope with this busy time of the season.

Looking at Sunderland's results, they were not exactly in great form either before they beat Everton in a penalty shootout to reach round four.

The Black Cats are without a win in five league games but the difference with Palace is that they drew four of them and, importantly, they also played well in most of those matches too.

Regis le Bris' side have been so strong at home that, along with Palace's poor form, I really have to back them here.

As their fans keep on pointing out, I've not done too well at predicting Sunderland scores this season, but I will get one of their results right soon... surely!

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Read the full predictions and have your say

Matt Jones
BBC Sport journalist

After being on the wrong end of the biggest FA Cup shock in history last weekend, followed by news on Friday that their manager and captain are both set to exit the club, Crystal Palace's next assignment is Sunderland - with their formidable home record - in the Premier League.

The Eagles were well below their best at the Moss Rose as they succumbed to sixth-tier opponents Macclesfield in embarrassing style, and a trip to the Stadium of Light is a tough follow-up.

Sunderland closing on home record

Sunderland have not lost in front their own fans since their return to the top flight and beat Everton in a penalty shootout in the FA Cup last weekend.

With survival already surely secured, Sunderland can shift their focus towards grander ambitions this term. If they are to finish in the top half - perhaps even seize a European place - then their home form will be key.

Head coach Regis le Bris has steered his team to 10 games without defeat on home soil in the Premier League this season. They can equal Ipswich Town's record run for a promoted side if they can extend that streak on Saturday.

Sunderland have not won in their past five Premier League games but a drop-off was to be expected. The Black Cats had six players at the Africa Cup of Nations, more than any other team in the league. They go into the weekend in 10th spot, albeit within three points of Brentford in fifth.

Troubles piling up at Palace

It has been a rough few weeks for Palace and the issues appear to be piling up.

Palace are without a win in nine games and the squad appears to be creaking under the weight of their European commitments. The Eagles have more injuries than any team in the top flight, with up to 10 players out; they have also made just 22 changes to their starting XI this season, nine fewer than any other team.

Cracks are appearing at both ends of the pitch too. They have been remarkably vulnerable from set-pieces, with nine of their past 11 goals conceded in all competitions coming from dead-ball situations.

Up top, manager Oliver Glasner will hope to see some key men rediscover their scoring touch with Ismaila Sarr still at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Yeremy Pino found the net at Macclesfield with a superb free-kick and all four of his goals for the club have come away from Selhurst Park.

Jean-Philippe Mateta will be back in the squad after he was rested for Macclesfield. The Frenchman has eight goals this season but just one in his past 10 games.

Mateta has also been profligate with his opportunities, with Bournemouth's David Brooks the only player to underperform their Premier League xG more.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Sunderland midfielder Lee Clark believes Dan Neil may need to seek playing opportunities elsewhere for the sake of his career.

The boyhood Sunderland fan helped his side win promotion last season but has made three cameo appearances in the Premier League so far this term and is out of contract in the summer.

"It's a tough call but, for someone like Dan now, it's important in his career," Clark told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"He's helped his local club get to the Premier League, they've shown their hand now that they're not sure about him in terms of that level. He has to go somewhere where he's going to get games."

Kilmarnock was one of the clubs Clark took charge of during his managerial career and he believes the top flight in Scotland is one of several positive potential avenues for Neil.

"Some of the clubs being put out there are terrific opportunities," Clark said. "I've seen Cologne mentioned in the Bundesliga, I've seen Rangers mentioned.

"I would imagine there will be a plethora of Championship clubs - but he might want to experience something different, he might want to go to Rangers where there's going to be a title battle up in Scotland and hopefully the opportunity to play in Europe.

"Scottish football gets a little bit of a kicking sometimes but until you've been there and been in amongst it, you realise how big clubs like Celtic and Rangers are."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds and hear the team talk about Trai Hume's Northern Ireland Player of the Year award

Image source, Getty Images

Jocelin Ta Bi says he is "incredibly excited for what's ahead" after signing for Sunderland in a four-and-a-half-year deal.

The 20-year-old winger has joined from five-time Israeli champions Maccabi Netanya after a loan spell with Hapoel Petah Tikva.

"Playing in the Premier League has always been a dream of mine and I'm incredibly excited for what's ahead," Ta Bi said. "I know there's still plenty of work to do and pushing myself every day and improving is something I'm fully committed to.

"We have some special things ahead of us at Sunderland and I'm looking forward to taking this journey together."

Sporting director Krisjaan Speakman added: "He's a dynamic and explosive wide player who enjoys attacking duels, predominantly from the right side, he is a player with high potential and we will integrate him patiently into our club.

"We believe in the player and we believe in our approach to developing talent, so we are looking forward to starting the journey with him and I'm sure our supporters will also enjoy the attributes he brings to our team."

Image source, Getty Images

One of the many stars of Sunderland's sensational return to the Premier League has been goalkeeper Robin Roefs.

The 22-year-old Dutchman joined the Black Cats from NEC Nijmegen in the summer and although the fee was officially undisclosed, it was reported to be in the region of £9m.

Roefs enhanced his growing reputation even further with penalty saves in last weekend's FA Cup shootout win at Everton.

"He's been an incredible signing," said BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentator Nick Barnes.

"Roefs' market value must be nearer £40m now, with the season he's had. He's 22 and he's getting plaudits from everywhere.

"He's very focused and he's a real Regis le Bris signing in many respects because he's almost a shadow of Le Bris in his manner, his commitment, his ambition and his maturity.

"He's a fabulous goalkeeper and he's still learning."

Ex-Sunderland defender Danny Collins added: "He ticks all the boxes. He's calm, his attitude, the lads trust him with the ball at his feet and he can go long with his passing as well. Ultimately he's in there as a shot-stopper and he's fantastic at that as well.

"I'm sure there will be one or two clubs eyeing him up. There are one or two in the Premier League who are probably looking for a top keeper."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Crystal Palace at Stadium of Light (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Le Bris confirmed Arthur Masuaku and Bertrand Traore are injured and could be out for weeks.

• On whether injuries have forced them to act in the January transfer window: "I don't think it's connected. We expect probably a three-to-four week time frame so we won't rush the process because it's better to give the strong rehabilitation programme, and they will be back soon, so it's not already well connected, and we have other options because we worked without him [Bertrand Traore] for almost four weeks."

• Le Bris stated that the last few weeks were a "busy period without six or seven players", but reiterated that the players did "really well" and showed "good level of composure".

• On players returning from Afcon: "I think they are happy to be back, and the players here, we are happy to have them once again in the group. Only two are missing now, Chemsdine [Talbi] and Habib [Diarra], which is good for them in one point. So now it's a question of playing and carrying this momentum to get better."

• The Sunderland boss revealed that they have their "own targets" when it comes to survival in the Premier League, which is to "reach those 40 points". He added that if that is achieved, then they will "set another one straight away".

• On Dan Ballard winning North East Football Writers' Player of the Year: "Decent year for him and for the club. And he stepped up in the Premier League, so it's still a question mark before this step in a new league, probably the biggest in the world, so he showed that he was able to play at that level with great consistency, without injuries as well, because it's still a question as well, to be consistent. So happy for him, and I think it's fully deserved."

• On Crystal Palace: "When you have a bad period, you always want to react, so it shows once again how tough and demanding it is this league. So they struggle in the FA Cup, but they are not in a good run, they have a strong group, they are well coached, good experience, and they are struggling. So it shows that it's tough to play in this league, and a reaction can happen like a snap everywhere, so we don't expect anything from them. It's really clear to stay focused on our strength, the way we want to play with the energy, the humility, and the creative work."

Listen to Regis le Bris on BBC Sounds

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

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Sunderland duo Arthur Masuaku and Bertrand Traore will be out of action for between four and six weeks after reporting back from the Africa Cup of Nations with injuries.

Left-back Masuaku, who represented DR Congo, has an ankle problem while Burkina Faso winger Traore sustained a knee injury.

Both were summer arrivals at the Stadium of Light.

Masuaku has made just four appearances for the Black Cats this season, while Traore has scored once in 10 Premier League outings.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

With more than half of the season gone, we have enough stats to get a good idea of how well Premier League teams have been playing and therefore how things will likely unfold in the months ahead.

Expected goals tells us how well teams do the basics of football by creating lots of good chances up front and limiting their opponents to few, difficult ones at the back.

With the figures based on how Premier League teams have performed in the past, history shows that the higher a team's xG difference - the more they dominate games - the more chance they have of success.

If we compare teams' xG difference with the points they have taken this season, we can clearly see in the chart below that the majority of sides' results align closely with their general performance.

But there are three teams who have so far defied their xG numbers, in either a good way, or a bad way: Aston Villa, Sunderland and Wolves.

Aston Villa and Sunderland have almost certainly achieved their season objectives already, with Opta giving Villa a 96% chance of Champions League football and the Black Cats a 99% chance of survival.

This is not about whether the two sides "deserve" to be where they are in the table. The fact that they have scored and kept out the goals they have means they have earned those positions, thanks in part to Villa's elite long-range finishing and Sunderland keeper Robin Roefs being the best shot-stopper in the league.

But what it does show is that this season's success is built on shaky ground and there is still work to be done if Villa wish to establish themselves at the top of the Premier League long-term and Sunderland are to avoid suffering second-season syndrome next season.

Villa fans will rightly point out that their team has regularly overperformed their xG under Unai Emery, while Sunderland fans will claim that you cannot measure tenacity and togetherness.

At the other end, while Wolves have been playing like a team worthy of relegation, they have been far better than the tally of two points they had until recently, so it is no real surprise their results have begun to improve.

Expected goals is not perfect and there are aspects of football that can never be captured on a spreadsheet, but history shows that it has a great track record for predicting a team's long-term success.

What else does xG predict for the rest of the Premier League season?

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland's Luke O'Nien says he is "going nowhere" and has a "lot to offer" the Black Cats.

The 31-year-old, who joined the club in 2018, has struggled for game time this season but says he isn't concerned by links with a move in any way.

O'Nien's emphatic stance - which you can listen to on BBC Radio Newcastle here - has been championed by Lee Cattermole, but the former Black Cats midfielder warned the volatile nature of football may mean O'Nien's wishes clash with the realities of the sport.

"It's timing," said Cattermole. "He has a family. I have had a long career. Everything is rosy at the minute. Luke seems happy, he's in a good place there. I think the only way he will leave is if the club turn around and say there's no place here. At the minute everything is great. It's great to listen to what he's saying, but there has to be a reality as well.

"If he leaves the club he's going to the Championship. I think he believes he can play Premier League. I think he'll stay until the end of the season. At 31, he has a long way to wait until you go to coaching. For me, the game is so volatile that it sounded too easy to say 'I am not going anywhere'.

"The attitude is brilliant but he's 31. He believes he can get in the team and stay in the team, but that will probably take injuries.

"To see his journey with Sunderland, the biggest credit to Luke is his attitude.

"To look at a player, you have to be adaptable. The only way you can be adaptable is good attitude daily, you're fit, technically good and you take on information, listen to the coaches and what they need from you.

"Did I see him where he is now? Probably not. But it doesn't surprise me with his attitude. I am absolutely delighted for him.

"He has found his way into every manager's team, hasn't he?

"He is a great character and you can see why he'd be a manager's dream."

Listen to Cattermole speak about O'Nien on BBC Radio Newcastle

Image source, Getty Images

Former midfielder Lee Cattermole on Dan Ballard becoming the first Sunderland player to win the North-East Writers' Footballer of the Year award since Jermain Defoe in 2016.

"It's no surprise at all, fully deserved. He's been massive for the club since he's come. He seems to have found his home and has grown with the club. He's proven himself as a leader in the group.

"That goal against Coventry will go down in history, the roof came off. It took us into the Premier League and he's been massive in the Premier League.

"He'll see on the night there are some great names on that trophy.

"Any time you get an award as an individual - in football it's so rare - it will mean a lot to him and his family. It's great for the club."

Listen to Cattermole on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Former Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole says he "will be gutted" if Dan Neil leaves the club.

Neil came through the Black Cats academy and played a big part in Sunderland's rise to the Premier League, featuring for the side in League One and the Championship.

However, the 24-year-old midfielder's contract is up in the summer and he has made only three substitute appearances for Regis le Bris' side this season.

Cattermole said: "If he does leave, I will be gutted that he hasn't had the chance to show himself because people write people off before they have even had a chance to kick the ball.

"I think he would have been expecting to have a start, especially with Afcon and us losing players.

"The speculation is definitely there. I believe he wants to be and should be playing football at his age."

Listen to more from Cattermole on BBC Sounds

Gavin Henderson
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

I've got cup fever!

It's been a long time since we could say that, but after what has felt like an eternity, Sunderland are in the hat for the fourth round of the FA Cup after our penalty shootout victory at Everton.

For the past decade, my team has been in a bit of a pickle and any idea of going on a cup run has been firmly put on the back burner.

But with 30 points on the board in January and Premier League safety practically guaranteed, we can dare to dream again and prioritise a good run in the cup.

We should be taking cup competitions seriously. That's the whole point of this thing, right? We all want to experience the feeling of winning. Lifting a cup is the best thing you can do outside of winning a Premier League, and that's basically a closed shop, so why not?

From the off, we were energetic and the tempo was good. While the scoreline might indicate this wasn't a particularly dominant Sunderland performance, I felt there was only ever really one team that was going to win it.

Our goal was superb - and it had to be Enzo le Fee. After all the carry-on last week with his terrible penalty at Brentford, he took his opportunity and celebrated in front of the near-8,000 Sunderland supporters in the stands.

And then came the undeserved Everton goal. It was never a penalty, and John Brooks ought to be ashamed for awarding it.

Extra time should be renamed "waste of time". Surely it will soon be scrapped in the FA Cup and we'll skip straight to the shootout?

The way Everton got back into the game was a joke, but it did give the travelling away fans another fun experience. Robin Roefs faced three penalties and saved them all, while Le Fee, Granit Xhaka and Luke O'Nien expertly dispatched their spot-kicks. Job done.

It's been a tough few weeks, but this win gives us momentum heading into an important game this weekend against Crystal Palace.

Let's dare to dream both in the FA Cup and the Premier League!

Find more from Gavin Henderson at Roker Report, external