Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal: WOW! What a point! James Copley and Phil Smith react at the Stadium of Light
The former Sunderland academy star was back on Wearside as Régis Le Bris’ side battled Arsenal under the lights
Tommy Watson may now be a Premier League player with Brighton & Hove Albion, but the 19-year-old’s connection to Sunderland clearly remains strong after he was spotted at the Stadium of Light during the Black Cats’ 2–2 draw with Arsenal on Saturday evening.
Watson, who grew up in the North East and joined Sunderland’s academy at under-nine level, has long been considered one of the most exciting talents to emerge from the Academy of Light. And despite securing a £10million move to Brighton ahead of the 2025–26 season, his appearance back on Wearside has not gone unnoticed among Sunderland supporters still immensely proud of his journey.
The young forward enjoyed a remarkable rise during his time at Sunderland, even if injuries initially threatened to disrupt his breakthrough. A back issue hampered the start of his 2023–24 campaign, but the club’s faith in him was unwavering, rewarding the teenager with a new three-year contract in September 2023. That decision quickly proved wise. His development accelerated, and in December last year, he netted the first league goals of his professional career in a 2–1 Championship win over Stoke City.
From there, Watson’s trajectory continued upwards. By April 2025, his talent had caught the eye of top-flight clubs, and Brighton confirmed his signing for a £10million fee. Yet before his move to the south coast officially began, Watson delivered one of the most iconic moments in Sunderland’s recent history. In the Championship play-off final at Wembley, he came off the bench to score an unforgettable stoppage-time winner against Sheffield United. His goal completed a 2–1 comeback and secured Sunderland’s long-awaited return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017. It was the kind of fairytale moment that etched his name into Wearside folklore, even if his future lay elsewhere.
After officially joining Brighton last summer, Watson made a strong early impression at the Amex. He scored on his debut, coming off the bench to add Brighton’s sixth in a 6–0 EFL Cup win away at Oxford United – a glimpse of the attacking instinct that Sunderland fans had admired since his academy days.
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With Sunderland now thriving in the Premier League under Régis Le Bris, the atmosphere was electric as the Black Cats battled back to earn a late point against league leaders Arsenal. For Watson, who grew up watching games in the stands before joining the academy pathway, witnessing that spectacle from the crowd must have felt like a return to familiar ground.
There is no suggestion of anything beyond a personal visit – Brighton remain committed to Watson’s development and regard him as a long-term prospect – but his appearance nevertheless reinforced a simple truth: once Sunderland gets under your skin, it never really leaves. For supporters, seeing one of their own back home, even temporarily, provided another poignant subplot on a night already full of emotion and noise.
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