Sunderland played out a 2-2 draw with Gateshead on Saturday afternoon
Sunderland kicked off their pre-season campaign with a 2-2 draw against Gateshead at Hebburn Sports Ground on Saturday afternoon.
A young squad, accented with a handful of players on the periphery of Regis Le Bris’ first team setup, fell behind early on, before fought their way into a first half lead courtesy of goals from Trey Ogunsuyi and Joe Anderson.
Gateshead would peg back the Black Cats before the interval, and after making 11 changes at the break Graeme Murty’s largely inexperienced team were only able to play out a sharing of the spoils away from home.
Here are some of the moments you might have missed as Sunderland began their preparations for 2025/26...
Pre-match shirt catches the eye
A small one, this, but it really does have to be said that Sunderland’s new away clobber is a bit special. In particular, the pre-match shirt is a thing of unexpected beauty. The same royal blue as the stellar away shirt itself, it also boasts a swirling red and white pattern running through it, and looked absolutely magnificent on a stunningly sunny afternoon in Hebburn. Every inch a Premier League garment.
Matty Young receives warm reception
The young goalkeeper enjoyed a hugely encouraging loan with Salford City last season, and actually looks to have grown a fair bit since he was last spotted on Wearside. Warming up in front of the travelling Mackem support before the second half, every save he made was cheered wildly, and you get the impression that if and when his time comes in the first team at the Stadium of Light, he will swiftly become a fan favourite.
Timothee Pembele decidedly absent
While just about every Sunderland player was given a run out on Saturday - even those on the edge of Le Bris’ plans - Pembele was absent altogether. There is, of course, always the possibility that the full-back is carrying some kind of knock, but given recent reports surrounding his potential exit from the Stadium of Light, it will be intriguing to see what the future holds for him.
Felix Scott shines briefly... and Matty Burns is a unit
Scott made quite the impression during his first forays into the U21s towards the back end of last season, and while he was forced off injured shortly after coming on at half-time on Saturday afternoon, he still showed a couple of flashes of real technical flair before he was withdrawn. His replacement was Matty Burns, recently signed from Colrane in Northern Ireland, and while the 16-year-old will surely have better opportunities to show what he can do, one take away was that he possesses a physicality that far belies his age.
Abdoullah Ba still has his own chant
After he spent last season out on loan at USL Dunkerque in the French second tier, you would forgive Sunderland fans for lapsing a little in their affection for Ba, but alas, the midfielder was still greeted with a rousing chorus of The Champs’ “Tequila” (with the lyric changed to “Abdoullah”, of course.) He may leave the club over the coming weeks, but he will remain a cult hero to many.
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