SUNDERLAND’S final game before Christmas saw them claim a point from a goalless draw with Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
In a game of few clear-cut chances, Omar Alderete came the closest to opening the scoring when his second-half header was tipped onto the crossbar by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
What were the main talking points from the game on the south coast?
AFCON ABSENTEES
From the moment Sunderland signed a number of African players in the summer, the issue of having to deal with the Africa Cup of Nations was looming on the horizon.
The tournament has finally arrived – it begins in Morocco later this week – and the Black Cats were without Reinildo Mandava, Noah Sadiki, Bertrand Traore and Chemsdine Talbi from the side that started the derby win over Newcastle United, with Arthur Masuaku also unavailable. Habib Diarra, a 63rd-minute substitute this afternoon, is set to leave England to link up with the Senegal squad next week.
How would Sunderland cope in the absence of so many key players? Excellently. It was hard to tell where the gaps in the Wearsiders’ line-up were supposed to be, such was the effectiveness of the players stepping into the starting XI.
Trai Hume and Lutsharel Geertruida carried out their defensive duties superbly, and while Chris Rigg and Simon Adingra were unable to pose a huge attacking threat, there was not really a drop-off from the levels Traore and Talbi had been producing prior to their departure for Morocco.
DEFENSIVE EXCELLENCE
How good has Sunderland’s defending been this season? The Black Cats’ excellent start to the campaign has been built on the bedrock of their rock-solid defence, and this was another game when Sunderland’s defenders excelled.
Hume looked perfectly happy switched to left-back, with the Northern Irishman doing a superb job of marking the dangerous Yankuba Minteh out of the game.
Alongside him, Omar Alderete and Dan Ballard were outstanding once again, dominating Georginio Rutter physically and also offering a threat at the opposite end of the pitch from set-pieces. Alderete came within inches of opening the scoring at the start of the second half, with Verbruggen tipping his header onto the crossbar.
With Robin Roefs a reliable goalkeeping presence once again, Sunderland kept their first clean sheet on their travels since September’s win at Nottingham Forest. While Yasin Ayari wasted a good late chance for Brighton, blazing over from ten yards, the Black Cats rarely looked like conceding.
LACK OF INCISION
If there was to be a criticism of Sunderland’s performance at the Amex, it is that they lacked a spark of creativity in the final third.
Brian Brobbey started as the central striker, preferred to Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda, but while the Dutchman did a decent job of holding up the ball and tying up opposition centre-halves, as he did in the derby win over Newcastle, he was never really a threat in the 18-yard box.
Enzo Le Fee, playing in the ‘number ten’ role, produced flashes of creativity – one particularly great run and pull-back down the right ended in substitute Romaine Mundle flashing in a low strike that was saved by Verbruggen – but the Frenchman often lacked support as he tried to unpick a well-organised Brighton defence.
Sunderland’s wide players helped out defensively, but their work in Brighton’s defensive third was largely underwhelming. Increasing his side’s goal threat will be one of Le Bris’ key tasks over the next few weeks as he continues to oversee a numerically-depleted squad.
FINAL AWAY DAY
This was Sunderland’s final away day of 2025, and while they were unable to sign off on a winning note, taking a point from the Amex Stadium was a more than reasonable way in which to end their travels for the year.
The Black Cats’ last away game of 2024 ended in a 1-0 defeat to Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium – it’s safe to say a fair bit has changed since Tom Cannon’s stoppage-time winner was condemning Sunderland to defeat a little over a year ago.
This is a team and a club transformed, and it felt fitting that Tommy Watson, the architect of so much that has happened in the second half of 2025 thanks to his Wembley winner in May, was a late Brighton substitute in today’s game.
Watson will forever be celebrated on Wearside for the stoppage-time strike that beat Sheffield United and secured promotion. Hopefully, there will be plenty more for Sunderland fans to celebrate in 2026.
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