Sunderland were back in Premier League action against Arsenal on Saturday afternoon
Sunderland fell to a 3-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Phil Smith was there reporting for The Echo and these were his key conclusions from the game...
Similar scoreline - but different feeling for Sunderland
To Sunderland's credit there have been fewer days like this than we expected this season, games that are chastening to watch but ultimately leave you with a respect for the quality of the opponent. The headline is another Premier League defeat on the road and another three goals shipped, but the feeling around Sunderland after this game was very different to the Brentford and West Ham defeats. Here they had applied themselves well, played with intensity, and simply lost to a better and significantly deeper squad.
Even Alan Shearer noted their application in the game, a genuine contest in which Arsenal struggled to carve out good chances on a consistent basis. Sunderland found a reasonable balance between defending resolutely and getting enough bodies forward to keep Arsenal honest, but even during a first half in which they impressed you could feel just how difficult a tightrope they were attempting to walk. Arsenal never looked more dangerous than in the moments where Sunderland had a lot of bodies forward whether it be from open play or most likely from a set piece, and the speed with which they carved through empty space highlighted why the general approach from the visitors had to be a pragmatic one. Though he got away with one spill early on, David Raya was excellent at set pieces and his quick distribution was so dangerous that at one stage in the first half Habib Diarra picked up a booking for preventing him getting a kick away. There is a perception around Arsenal that they aren't a very good team to watch, but a lot of that is down to the respect they have cultivated from their opposition.
Sunderland battled well for the most part here, but were undoubtedly overrun in the closing stages. The mental and physical fatigue of the game clearly caught up with them, while Mikel Arteta's substitutes had a big impact on the contest. That was impressive given the absence of Saka, Merino and Odegaard and as Régis Le Bris said afterwards, building a team and a squad like this takes time.
Arsenal ruthlessly punish Sunderland errors
There were echoes of the Manchester City defeat earlier this season in that Sunderland's resolute low block was undone by a brilliant long-range strike, this time from Martin Zubimendi. While frustrating, this is the game of percentages that Sunderland play. There's a reason why they concede a lot of shots, more than most in the league, and yet have one of the very best defensive records. They're relatively content to let the opposition have the ball from range, packing the box to prevent them giving up high-quality chances. With defenders who love to put their body on the line and a very good shot stopper, it's proving a solid strategy in the main. Sometimes, though, the opposition has the quality to hurt you even from what statisticians would tell you aren't particularly dangerous areas. And it was a truly brilliant hit from Martin Zubimendi, taking the ball first time and cutting across it with the outside of his boost.
When Sunderland reflect on the game it will ultimately come with bitter disappointment that they were ruthlessly punished for two mistakes as they gave the ball away in their own half. There's room for improvement here but it's also worth pointing out that if the Black Cats are going to improve in the long run away from home, they need to keep getting better at holding the ball and not just going direct at the first sign of pressure. For good spells in this game, they did that well against a very powerful opponent. Arsenal's shape out of possession is also the best in the league by a distance, so often forcing mistakes like the one Sunderland made here: a tough learning curve for the Black Cats.
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Brian Brobbey continues to impress
Sunderland's shot map for this game shows just how strong a defensive unit Arsenal are, the visitors registering five efforts but none of them from central areas or close range aside from Brobbey's early effort. It would a mistake to say that this meant Gabriel and William Saliba had a comfortable afternoon, however. Saliba was forced into taking a booking early on following a good bit of skill from Habib Diarra, who showed his ability in this game without fully being able to put his stamp on it. Both defenders struggled against Brobbey at times, who put in a mightily impressive shift and found ways to bring his team mates into the game despite Arsenal's obvious superiority. Brobbey is full of confidence, in a really good rhythm and emerging as a vital player for Sunderland. Nobody knows better than Sunderland and their support how hard it is to sign an effective centre forward at a good price in the modern market: It increasingly looks like the Black Cats have pulled off a real coup here.
Is a big opportunity for Lutsharel Geertruida on the horizon?
Though Le Bris said afterwards that he does not think there is a significant issue, seeing Noah Sadiki limping shortly before his second-half substitution is a concern given Granit Xhaka's ongoing absence - the Sunderland head coach thinks he could be without the latter for at least another fortnight.
This was another frustrating afternoon for Geertruida, absent from the starting XI and brought on with the game all but gone from a Sunderland perspective. This is a busy week, however, and it's hard to imagine he won't start one of the next two games. The question is where and the bigger question: Can he seize the moment when it comes?
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