Sunderland might have hit a snag in their campaign under Regis Le Bris's leadership, but nobody can deny the Black Cats their success as a resurgent team in the Premier League.
Having been promoted last year, this is a much-anticipated moment for Wearside, who have been put through the wringer over the past decade, falling down into the second tier and then League One and staying in that lowly position for four seasons before clawing their way out and building back toward the big time.
It's all fallen into place, but there's no question that Le Bris needs to find some fresh inspiration from somewhere, with Sunderland struggling to maintain their early-season sharpness.
Regis-Le-Bris
Bluntness in the final third has been one of the main reasons that the form has dried up, and Sunderland need to work a tune out of forwards like Brian Brobbey and Wilson Isidor.
Why Sunderland's forwards are struggling
Isidor is falling out to the fringes, and it was telling that he played a bit-part role in recent weeks as Brobbey has recovered from injury on the sidelines.
Last year's attacking wrecking ball in the Championship has found the pace and intensity of the Premier League difficult to adapt to, and he's averaging fewer than three passes a game.
Sunderland's Wilson Isidor
In fairness, it's not really fair to say that Brobbey is struggling. The Dutchman arrived for £20m in the summer and has scored five goals from
His physicality and boxer's clinch in goulmouth scrambles have proved an excellent weapon for the Black Cats, but he's still left something to be desired.
This is a well-oiled team. Not just a group of players but a team, the new recruits welcomed into a flowing outfit, undisrupted by fresh voices.
And yet, something's missing - namely, Sunderland need some more quality in attack, with there no question that offensive play has gone a bit stale over the past several months.
Lowest xG Totals in the Premier League (25/26)
Club
Nott'm Forest
Tottenham
Sunderland
Burnley
Wolves
Expected Goals (xG) is a metric designed to measure the probability of a shot resulting in a goal.
A lack of creativity is inhibiting Le Bris's forwards, but perhaps they need someone who can score goals and fashion things from nothing.
Once, they had such a player who is now riding the crest of a wave at the top of the Premier League.
Sunderland flop is now an elite star
Antoine Semenyo has developed into quite the footballer, one of those success stories that leave you warm and fuzzy, working hard across England's lower levels and
If you are a Sunderland fan who has been caught unawares by the fact that Semenyo once played for the club, you would be forgiven.
Antoine Semenyo's Career Path
Club
Bristol City
Bath City
Newport County
Sunderland
Bournemouth
Man City
While he was learning the craft at Bristol City, the then 20-year-old was loaned out to Sunderland in League One to aid him in his development. It didn't prove to be a successful stint, with Semenyo only featuring seven times and creating one assist.
Afterwards, he acknowledged that it didn't work out, though he had "nothing but good things to say" about his time on Wearside, albeit noting that it was a bit cold.
Of course, it's fair to say that Semenyo has since established himself as a professional, transferring from Bournemouth to Manchester City in January for a £64m fee. With the Cherries, he had become one of the most effective talismans in England, and journalist Graham Ruthven has described him as "the best player in the Premier League" for his exploits this season.
Only Erling Haaland and Brentford striker Igor Thiago have outscored the 26-year-old in the top flight this term. Semenyo has scored 15 goals and supplied four assists, but it is his electric pace, instinctive movement and willingness to assume responsibility that define him.
Comfortable across the frontline, the Ghana international would certainly be the cream of Sunderland's offensive crop, typically placed out wide but boasting the direct and deadly presence to replace both Brobbey and Isidor at number nine, scoring goals but creating fluent play too.
He rose to prominence with Bournemouth, who pinched him for a penny from Bristol City. Had things worked out at Sunderland, and the Black Cats nabbed him before he established himself in Somerset, things might have been different.
Semenyo Bournemouth stats (timeless)
Semenyo's stint at the Stadium of Light was a tiny snapshot of a career which has since skyrocketed, but it's a shame that things didn't go better at that nascent stage.
Had the unknown forward made more of an impact, who knows, perhaps he could have stuck around in the north east, growing into the player he is today at a Sunderland side who needed a talismanic presence when they were at their lowest.
Sunderland's Habib Diarra Related
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This Sunderland player is fast becoming an even bigger flop than Habib Diarra at the Stadium of Light.