Sunderland’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace brought plenty of talking points before, during and after the game
Sunderland were back on the road in the Premier League as they made the trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace – with plenty of interesting moments emerging before, during and after.
It was a fixture that carried plenty of intrigue, with the Black Cats looking to build on their early-season momentum and Palace eager to make their own mark. The away end was packed with travelling supporters, once again underlining the strong connection between the team and the fanbase as they settled into life back in the top flight.
As always with Sunderland, there was plenty to take in beyond the scoreline itself. From moments of quality on the pitch to the reactions in the stands and the finer details around the ground, the afternoon offered plenty for supporters to talk about.
Here, we pick out the things you might not have caught the first time around in our latest edition of Moments Missed before, during and after Sunderland’s clash against Crystal Palace a Selhurst Park in the Premier League:
Arne Slot pips Le Bris to Premier League accolade
It was a busy build-up to Sunderland’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, with news elsewhere in the top flight catching the eye. Liverpool boss Arne Slot was named Barclays Manager of the Month after guiding his side to three wins from three in August.
The Dutchman pipped Sunderland head coach Régis Le Bris, who had also been shortlisted after an impressive start to life in the division, which included two wins from their first three games in the Premier League following promotion coming into Saturday’s game against Palace.
Le Bris handed major blow before Palace game
Sunderland suffered an early blow before kick-off when Régis Le Bris confirmed that Enzo Le Fée, signed in the summer for £20million, had picked up a minor injury in training and was unavailable for the trip to Selhurst Park. The French midfielder started and scored during the Black Cats’ last fixture against Brentford, making his omission from the squad a surprise.
Simon Adingra came into the side as his replacement on the wing, while Wilson Isidor was handed a start up front in place of Eliezer Mayenda after his recent impact from the bench. The rest of the line-up remained unchanged from the dramatic late win over Brentford, with Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete continuing in central defence, Trai Hume and Reinildo Mandava at full-back, and Robin Roefs in goal. Deadline day signings Brian Brobbey and Leon Geertruida were introduced for their debuts in the second half as the Black Cats drew the game.
In-game injuries worry Sunderland bench
Sunderland had some nervy moments with injuries in the first half. On 14 minutes, Alderete went down after a strong challenge from Crystal Palace’s Daniel Muñoz, who caught the defender on his standing leg and was booked for the foul. Alderete, who was signed during the off-season for £10.4million, was able to continue but looked in some discomfort before recovering to play on.
Just over ten minutes later, there was another scare when Sadiki, signed for £14.4million, hit the turf after stretching for the ball. The physios were called on as he appeared to be in pain, at one stage gritting his teeth while they worked on his right knee. After a brief stoppage, Sadiki carried on, though there were clear signs of concern on the Sunderland bench.
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With five minutes remaining, £9.5million summer arrival Mukiele also went down, seemingly suffering from cramp. His stoppage drew frustration from the Palace supporters as their side piled on late pressure, but Sunderland held firm to secure a hard-earned point despite the nervy finish. Thankfully, despite the fears during the game. Alderete, Sadiki and Mukiele all played 90 minutes, though Sunderland face a fresh concern over Le Fée, who missed the clash.
Robin Roefs shines against Crystal Palace
One of the big takeaways from Sunderland’s stalemate at Selhurst Park was the performance of Roefs. The young goalkeeper delivered another superb display, keeping Palace at bay with a string of key interventions. In the first half, he stayed big as Yeremy Pino slid an effort wide with the scores level, his presence perhaps enough to put the winger off. Roefs impressed with the ball at his feet too, offering calm distribution under pressure.
After the break, he produced a smart stop to deny Jean-Philippe Mateta before showcasing his authority in difficult conditions, dealing brilliantly with high balls on a windy afternoon in south London. Roefs then pulled off two more excellent saves midway through the second half, one around the 73rd minute and another just five minutes later, both from Mateta. It was a commanding performance that underlined why he has quickly become such a key figure for Sunderland. Rating. The Sunderland Echo awarded the goalkeeper a 9/10 for his sublime display.
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