- Sunderland unable to overcome Wolves
- Winless run continues
- Black Cats remain in bottom half
Sunderland have failed to claim a victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers after being reduced to 10 men during the first half.
Regis Le Bris would definitely have believed his team had a shot at victory against 20th place Wolves, but it was not to be.
Here are five observations we have made about the match which sees Sunderland remain 12th in the Premier League table.
Sunderland chose their time to strike wisely
Wolves were quite dominant in the early stages of the game, with the visitors comfortable letting them have possession.
However, the momentum switched as Noah Sadiki took the lead for Sunderland after only 17 minutes of action.
The Black Cats exposed Wolves’ poor defending at set pieces. Granit Xhaka fired in a corner, and the right-back was allowed to score with a free header.
Dan Ballard destroyed Sunderland’s advantage
In a moment of carelessness, Dan Ballard ruined Sunderland’s newfound control of the game by pulling on Tolu’s hair.
The pair were engaged in a physical battle, causing the defender to commit an action which ultimately cost his team.
From this point onwards, Wolves have plenty of chances and could even have gone on to win the game if their finishing was better.
The Black Cats prevented a goal with some excellent defending
Wolves recorded more shots on target and a far superior xG, but Sunderland remained strong at the back for much of the match.
Omar Alderete made a vital tackle just before half-time which stopped what looked to be a certain goal for the hosts.
Trai Hume did something similar early in the second half, making a block from close range to deny Wolves.
Even when the score was at 1-1, Robin Roefs came up with a special moment of his own as he made an excellent save with 10 minutes remaining.
It was a real team effort across the back-line which allowed Sunderland to at least pick up a point on Saturday afternoon.
Sunderland conceded a cheap goal
Unfortunately, Sunderland’s defence did eventually crack, but not due to a moment of brilliance from Wolves.
Like the Black Cats, Wolves scored from a corner kick and it was made far too easy for Santiago Bueno.
The defender launched himself above two Sunderland players before heading the ball past Roefs, who had no chance of making a save.
Regis Le Bris will be pleased with his team’s mentality
Sunderland have not managed to beat Wolves, and any chance of European football next season is well and truly gone.
Despite this, Regis Le Bris’ team showed a lot of fighting spirit and kept pushing for a winning goal, even with 10 men.
Wilson Isidor had a massive opportunity to be through on goal towards the end, but he was unable to control a long ball from Roefs.
Other than that, it was Wolves who had the better chances. Nevertheless, Sunderland kept on fighting and would probably have won the match had Ballard not been sent off.
Next up for Sunderland
Sunderland’s next match is in exactly one week, and it is another 3pm BST kick off, this time against Manchester United.
The Red Devils have won their past two matches, but must take on Liverpool on Sunday in a game which could potentially disrupt that run.
After that, there are only two Premier League games left to fulfil before Sunderland’s campaign draws to a close.
