---
title: "Team of the month: January"
canonical: "https://readsunderland.com/2016/01/27/team-month-january/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Chris Sparks"
section: "Articles"
published: "2016-01-27T13:40:35Z"
modified: "2016-01-27T13:40:35Z"
---

# Team of the month: January

January has been a mixed month for Sunderland with the Black Cats finding themselves still in the relegation zone and 4 points adrift.

The month began with a superb 3-1 home victory against Aston Villa which was followed up by a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal in the FA Cup. Jermain Defoe was the hero as the Black Cats defeated Swansea City 4-2 to claim much-needed back-to-back league victories.

The month ended with a whimper, with a 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, followed by a disappointing home draw against AFC Bournemouth.

Below is [Read Sunderland’s](https://readsunderland.com/) team of the month: