Sunderland suffered defeat to League One outfit Huddersfield Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup in midweek in front of their home supporters.
Despite sprinting out of the blocks with a comprehensive opening day victory, The Black Cats have already faced inevitable setbacks to their progress and a loss to fellow newcomers Burnley gave them a reality check.
They return to the Stadium of Light in their third Premier League clash against Brentford. The start of the campaign for the visitors has been the polar opposite to the hosts in some sense.
A humiliating display against Nottingham Forest heaped staggering pressure onto new manager Keith Andrews. Yet, this was somewhat washed away by wins over Aston Villa and Bournemouth, and his side also kept two clean sheets in the process.
Still, this is another three points on home soil Sunderland should be striving to claim against a Brentford side lacking as much firepower as they possessed last season.
Regis Le Bris faced the media ahead of Saturday's contest alluding to resilience, remaining transfer activity, and the importance of the Stadium of Light's unique atmosphere.
Navigating adversity
There will be inevitable inconsistencies in Sunderland's results due to their competition and adjustment to Premier League football, despite much of the squad experiencing the heights of the European game.
Already Le Bris' new group have encountered difficulties, and learning how to cope with them could be the difference between preserving their top flight status and dropping back down to the Championship.
Also, the Sunderland boss emphasised the important trait of adaptability for his team to survive this season.
"This is the next game. Whether it is a win or a defeat, you always have to reset. The situation of the two games was very different. The most important thing in football is to stay adaptive, be ready to manage anything and be ready to go again with this idea."
An individual who has been on the recieving end of some obstacles has been Spanish forward Eliezer Mayenda. After missing key opportunities against Burnley, and therefore, unable to exact revenge from the previous match against his familiar foes, the ability to perform again and re-set seems advantageous mentally, especially for a striker.
Regis Le Bris reinforced Mayenda's qualities and his continued support for him: "He is okay. It is part of the process. If we think about last season, it started like that - with one or two missed big chances - but finally it was really good. Strikers and players in other positions can make mistakes, or a goalkeeper can make big saves. Stay confident and support him and it will be okay."
On a possible final surge in the market
After Sunderland got more than a dozen deals over the line this summer, alongside several key contract extensions, Monday's deadline day is looming.
It is almost a fully-changed side from Le Bris' preferred personnel in the second tier and their astronomical expenditure seems justified and may very well pay dividends.
Le Bris boasts several new faces equipped to handle the challenges of the Premier League either through their raw potential or established experience in European competitions.
The Frenchman stated he would like to add "one or two positions" to his squad amid links to Bologna centre-back Jhon Lucumi surfacing over the last few days, as per Fabrizio Romano.
Nevertheless, he seemed pleased with the integration of all the new arrivals.
"The amount of work is huge (this summer). Not an easy challenge. Connection with players now is good. They understand the identity of the club, and there is connection with teammates."
The Sunderland head coach also revealed a possible outgoing before Monday in his press conference previewing the Brentford clash.
"For outs, we will probably have an option for Ahmed (Abdullahi) so we expect him to leave on loan. For others, it is still the same principle. The last couple of days have been crazy. Other clubs are just waiting to decide last minute."
Influential Stadium of Light crowd
The foundation to the success of Sunderland seems to be having a strong home record to rely on, and creating a strong atmosphere that any team in the league feels uncomfortable confronting will edge them closer to their target of survival.
Speaking on the Sunderland faithful, Le Bris said, "They are a key pillar of our identity. Sunderland is made with this support. If we don't use it properly, then it doesn't make sense."
Le Bris also urged the supporters to weather the waves of disappointments and remain supportive of the players amid the forthcoming trials and tribulations of the club's first Premier League season in eight years.
"If our fans recognise this identity, the willingness, the togetherness - they are happier when we win and that is fair, but we know this won't be possible every time. If we are connected with this ambition and commitment, it will be a massive strength for us."