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Pre-Match Analysis: Sunderland prepare for trip to Brentford

VAVEL.com · Dominic Ilderton; VAVEL com · 2026-09-04T14:29:06+00:00 · nguồn gốc

As Sunderland prepare to take on Brentford tomorrow afternoon, Regis Le Bris will want to carry on the positives from last weekend's win over Fulham. The last time the two sides met, Brentford won out 3-0 winners thanks to an Igor Thiago brace at the Gtech Community Stadium. Positives to take from Fulham match? The Black Cats looked in complete control of the game last Sunday. They calculated their moves and built up play in repetitive patterns, and moved the ball around the pitch with intent. It was a much improved performance from the opening match away to Ipswich, and Sunderland dominated the game because of it. Captain Granit Xhaka was the key man involved in Sunderland's improvement, as the catalyst who set the tempo and acted as a midfield conductor. Sunderland only landed a couple of crosses from 19 attempts vs the Tractor Boys, however against the Cottagers, eight crosses hit from 18, a stark improvement that made the Black Cats more dangerous in attack. Is It Time To Drop Brobbey? Brian Brobbey has started up front in both Premier League fixtures this season, however the big Dutchman has been ineffective so far in the 131 minutes he has played. In two matches of football, Brobbey has only taken one shot, which was off target. Sunderland's number 9 has also had two shots blocked. Although Brobbey has occupied defenders, he has been off the pace of the game, often looking sluggish and slow at times. The only times Sunderland look like scoring, it is after Brobbey has been subbed off. Isidor Momentum Wilson Isidor scored Sunderland's only open-play goal in the Premier League this season, in his half-hour cameo on Sunday afternoon. Instantly after he was subbed on in the 64th minute, the Black Cats showed Fulham their claws. Isidor's pace stretched the Cottagers' back line, and gave the space for Enzo Le Fee, Habib Diarra and Chris Rigg to explode down the wings and send in threatening crosses. He added a new dimension to the Black Cats' attack, offering a route in behind, that previously was ineffective when Le Fee was trying to send Brobbey through on goal. In the first half of the match, Sunderland dominated 56 per cent of the ball, but only managed an xG of 0.07. That highlights the immense struggles caused by Brobbey's movement issues. Diarra Injury Attacking midfielder Diarra was subbed off after only playing just shy of 20 minutes last weekend, and it was confirmed in Le Bris' press conference today that the injury is somewhat serious. The Senegalese international has a hamstring problem, and is rumoured to be out of action until mid-October. This is a huge blow for the Black Cats, as Diarra made a huge impact from the bench, providing urgency in attack and getting the assist for Isidor's deciding finish. Le Bris said earlier: "The proof was against Fulham. When he came on the pitch, he was a beast and changed the pace of the game. "He will wait, I think, six to eight weeks with his new injury, so it's a shame, but it is what it is, and we'll take care of him until early October. "We are frustrated, he is frustrated, so it is what it is and we need to accept it." Will The New Signings Start? On deadline day, Sunderland completed the signing of two new first team-level players; Austrian defender Kevin Danso from Tottenham Hotspur and Malick Fofana, a tricky winger from Lyon. Despite Danso failing to get into the team at Spurs, his quality is there for all to see, and he is good enough to start for Sunderland. There are two ways in which the Austrian international may start, and it will come at the expense of either Dan Ballard, or summer signing Thomas Meunier. Nordi Mukiele is an untouchable player in this Sunderland team, as the Frenchman is undoubtedly the Black Cats' best defender. Whether he plays centrally, or is moved onto the right, it is up to the manager and how he wants his team to play. With the incoming of Danso, it is reasonable to say that Luke O'Nein will feature sparsely or not at all for the rest of the Premier League season. So, it is a question of Le Bris' loyalty to Northern Irishman Ballard, after being a constant in Sunderland's climb up the football pyramid and a leader within the group, or whether the French manager wants to rest new boy Meunier, because of his aging legs. Fofana, after being subject to a tug of war between Sunderland and Crystal Palace, has finally been signed to the Wearside club. The injury to Diarra may see Le Bris give the new Belgian winger a baptism of fire tomorrow afternoon, as he looks to balance the numbers and offer versatility on the wings. Northern Irish fullback Trai Hume has been covering on the right wing thus far, and has done a decent job at plugging the hole between attack and defence, but after all, he is not a winger. This is where it gets tricky. Fofana is a left winger, that can also operate in a central role. This would mean that the £31 million signing could be utilised out of position, which could make him less effective. The other option is to move one of the club's existing wingers out of the way to open a spot on the left for the Belgian international. After being left short-staffed on the right wing, the club have failed to sign a perfect fit, and will likely have to move Chris Rigg onto the right, as he is the most experienced doing so. After any transfer window, seeing new players a mere few days after deadline day may be unlikely, as the new incomings have not had enough time to train and get to grips with the style of play the manager expects from them. It is unfair to expect a player to just slot in, and it may take time to introduce Fofana in particular until a few weeks from now. I expect Fofana's head is still scrambled after his agent's antics on September 1st, and he will need time to fully settle in, so I wouldn't expect him to start.