Extended HLs: Sunderland v. Fulham Matchweek 2
Enjoy full-match highlights from Fulham's visit to the Stadium of Light to take on Sunderland in Matchweek 2.
Video Transcript
Day two meeting between Sunderland and Fulham.
Alongside me, former Premier League striker Michael Bridges.
Michael, both sides will be looking to quickly move on from their opening results, with the aim today to get at least a point, or ideally all three.
Yeah, well, I think Sunderland, Tom, after the start of last season that they had, it set the tone, especially at the Stadium of Light, going 13 matches unbeaten.
They'll be wanting to start their season here today against Fulham, and they'll be looking, like I say, but you've asked the question, it's got to be the three-point mentality for Sunderland.
So still just the one away victory in the Premier League for Fulham in 2026.
Now that was their three-one victory here at the Stadium of Light back in February.
An afternoon I'm sure Rgis Lbrisse will have learned a lot from.
Fulham did the double over Sunderland last season.
Sadiki.
Meunier's peeled off.
First time cross!
And Trey Hume with a miskick.
That was a chance.
The home crowd knew it.
Nice build up, just still lacking that final bit of quality in front of goal, Michael.
Yeah, nice and patient build up from Sunderland.
We'll see here the diagonal pass from Granit Xhaka.
If you allow a player of his quality the time and space to get his head up, he'll deliver diagonal crosses like that all day long, and Meunier was the man that found himself inside the area.
You saw how close there.
Back to Lef.
Xhaka.
Hume.
Meunier!
I think he got caught in two minds there.
Cross come shot.
Yeah, he certainly did, but again, lovely possession play from Sunderland, moving it from one side to the other.
And he has, he's just got in that area where he's thinking, there's a cross on here, but there's also a sight at goal, and he's gone for the stats.
Under their belts.
Clean sheet.
Squad rotation.
Three different goal scorers.
Castagne.
What a pass that is to find the wing back, who goes to ground and the referee does award Fulham the free kick.
It's twenty-five minutes in.
Still goalless, but certainly over the last five minutes, Fulham, a lot of possession!
And almost the opening goal of the game.
Josh King had ghosted in behind the Sunderland back line.
And that is an opportunity.
I was saying they were looking for little gaps.
Just watch Josh King, number 24 here.
That run to stay on side.
He's dropped.
Reinildo is the man that's dropped for Sunderland.
He recognized that there was space to exploit, and he's done everything.
The run, the touch.
He's opened the body up, and he's just missing that final execution.
But a very good passage of play, applauded by the manager.
You see a newly promoted team in Hull are doing that, so you don't want to lose your first couple matches of the season, that's for sure.
Brobbey holding off Anderson.
Referee happy for that duel to continue.
Just too high for Meunier.
Reinildo finds his fellow full back.
Been shown the outside by Reinildo.
Oh, that is confident play.
He comes off and finds Angulo, who's gonna have to go alone here.
And that may well be the first caution of the game here for Joachim Andersen, who's claiming he won the ball there.
Referee does not agree.
But if we're taking things from a Fulham perspective, they perhaps, what do you argue, have looked more likely, Michael?
But certainly in this score line away from home, lvaro Arbeloa will be more than content with what he's seen from his players.
I think he'd be more delighted with the defensive display that his team has shown so far.
That's what they're having to do here as Angulo comes forwards.
Supported by Reinildo.
Deflected cross.
Bassey in the right position once again.
Go.
Yes.
What can Garca do?
He can do something really well there, and he's got the speed.
He's played in Josh King.
Roosh retreats.
Reinildo's done really well, though.
Excellent covering defensive work from the Sunderland left back.
But Fulham thought they'd won it back.
But as of yet, Rgis Lbrisse yet to take a point off Fulham during his reign as Sunderland head coach.
That's what he's on course for at the moment, and Angulo.
Good strength.
Can he still fend off the recovering Castagne?
He can.
Sadiki cries of man on.
Sadiki's cross is- overheat for Brobbey.
Meunier.
Hume.
Palacios.
Good position from the midfielder just to get something on the cross.
Xhaka's able to whip it in, and helped on by Brobbey.
The decision is goal kick Berg straight down the middle.
Garcia's in here.
Gonzalo Garcia.
Denied by Mucielli, who just conducts a mini prayer there as he resets.
Well, it's a lovely pass of play from Fulham because they dissect Sunderland centrally.
Three passes.
You see here, Garcia, he's looking to take the touch away from goal and then back across goal with the shot.
But Mucielli, look at the pace, look at the determination, and then the timing of the block tackle.
Dogg cuts inside.
Palacios gets it out of his feet and Well, not only is King dropping deep, but into wide areas because Granit Xhaka and Sadiqi have been making sure he doesn't get on the ball.
Castagne, ball across, looking for King, and Mucielli knew it.
Scuff clearance.
Garcia tracked by Mucielli, and really well marshaled there.
Neat play from Hugh.
Xhaka.
How he's bent that into the path of Le Fee, I won't know.
Isidore!
I think that may be the substitute's first touch, and he sees it hit the post.
Well, I said it was getting a bit tasty, Tom.
I mean, it's the mo- it's the moment of the match.
The big diagonal ball, Enzo Le Fee with the vision.
And what he does, he tees the ball up lovely.
There's the little glance, and all Isidore's gotta do is find the back of the net.
And he's just come on.
Maybe the momentum of the game was just ahead of him.
See what it means to Reggie Lavrece.
Well, he couldn't go back.
That path is blocked off.
They go down the line and work it really well here.
Flag has stayed down.
Isidore second time, and that's game.
The substitutions are the players that have made the impact.
It's a different type of dynamics for Sunderland.
Everything that is being played in front of Fulham, Bassey and Anderson have loved it.
Now they're getting stretching behind.
It's Diarra with a lovely run in behind.
What he does, he has the ability here.
You'll have a look, he's had one glance, he's had two, and just like Enzo Le Fee did, he's played the perfect pass into Isidore, the striker.
Now, fair play, because he's missed one big opportunity.
I'll tell you what, he's not gonna turn down a second.
He's given Sunderland a massive one-nil lead at the Stadium of Light.
Game on.
Charles.
Kevin.
Robinson.
Robinson's cut back, and this time it's Noah Sadiqi in exactly the right place for Sunder- for Sunderland.
Added time left to play.
Sunderland taking all of the points here, Michael.
Well, the stat you've got to look at is attempts on target, and when you've got zero, as Fulham have.
Mondal, chance to silence, which he doesn't take.
Mondal, no way through.
Smithrow.
Charles.
Garcia.
Whistles coming from the home supports.
But the whistle that counts is blown by the referee.
And Reggie Lavrece sees his substitutes combine to secure a huge three points to start the league campaign here at the Stadium of Light
