At the final whistle Álvaro Arbeloa provided a study in pensiveness while Régis Le Bris simply looked relieved. An almost palpable fear of losing formed the subtext of a match decided when two of the Sunderland manager’s second-half substitutes, Habib Diarra and Wilson Isidor, combined for the latter to score. Isidor’s goal not merely supplied Sunderland with their first win of the season while leaving Arbeloa’s side pointless but ended his club’s 17-year run without a Premier League victory against Fulham.
The tone of a cagey, risk-averse first half was raised by a typically superior central midfield performance on the part of Sunderland’s Noah Sadiki. Indeed the Democratic Republic of the Congo international extinguished so many potential visiting fires that Fulham’s sole real chance during the opening 45 minutes involved Josh King finding himself confounded by geometry as he miscued a tightly angled opening conjured by Alex Iwobi. Otherwise the home goalkeeper, Robin Roefs, was left pretty much undisturbed.
That apart, a slightly nervous impasse endured. Despite dominating possession, Sunderland’s attacking edge proved anything but serrated, leaving Bernd Leno severely underemployed in Fulham’s goal. It all left both Le Bris and Arbeloa with much to ponder at the interval.
If the watching Sunderland owner, Kyril-Louis Dreyfus, required a reminder as to precisely why Le Bris is so keen to sign a specialist right-winger and another striker before the transfer window’s closure, he had received it. At least Sunderland’s manager had Nordi Mukiele restored to central defence after injury. The former Paris Saint-Germain defender’s importance on Wearside was underscored early in the second half when his tremendous sliding challenge blocked Gonzalo García’s path to a near-certain goal after Sander Berge’s stellar through pass.
García had scored in each of his first two competitive games since joining Fulham from Real Madrid but found Sunderland’s rearguard difficult to decode. Yet Le Bris, perhaps sensing that the visitors were gaining the initiative, made a double substitution. On came Diarra and Isidor for the largely ineffective Nilson Angulo and Brian Brobbey.
Within minutes Sunderland should have been ahead after Enzo Le Fée played a beautiful first-time ball across goal. It seemed easier for the onrushing Isidor to score than miss, but somehow he ended up striking the base of a post and Le Bris ended up sinking to his knees in disappointment. Poor Isidor looked mortified but redemption beckoned.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
