In a tight encounter with very few clear-cut chances at either end, Sunderland secured a 1-0 win over Hull City last night to book their place in the Carabao Cup fourth round.
A sumptuous lobbed finish from Chemsdine Talbi was the difference for Regis Le Bris’ side, who have reached such a stage of the competition for the first time since 2021/22.
The manager will no doubt be happy with last night’s victory over their Premier League rivals, subsequently claiming their first win over the Tigers since October 2024.
However, not every player who started had an evening to remember for the right reasons, with multiple starters unable to deliver at the Stadium of Light.
Which Sunderland players struggled to deliver against Hull
The Carabao Cup has handed Sunderland boss Le Bris an opportunity to rotate his pack and hand valuable minutes to multiple fringe players in the senior ranks.
New arrival Malick Fofana was handed his first start for the Black Cats last night, but his performance has highlighted the need for the Belgian to settle into life at the club before impressing.
The Belgian featured for 79 minutes of the triumph, but failed to complete any of the three dribbles he attempted, whilst only finding a teammate with one of his crosses.
The 21-year-old also lost 68% of the duels he entered at the Stadium of Light, with the youngster needing to adapt to the physical demands of the English game.
However, he wasn’t the only attacker who struggled to deliver, with fellow winger Jocelin Ta Bi also looking extremely wasteful within the final third of the pitch.
The Ivorian failed to complete any of his four dribble attempts during the victory, whilst also being able to pick out a teammate with any of his own cross attempts.
He also lost out in 100% of the aerial battles he entered last night, which saw the opposition defenders often neutralise the threat he posed within attacking areas.
Why one Sunderland player needs to be dropped after Hull
Despite his side not performing at their best, Sunderland boss Le Bris will be delighted that his side are in the hat for the next round of the Carabao Cup draw.
The Black Cats have previously impressed in such a competition in years gone by, subsequently reaching the final before being defeated by Manchester City in 2013/14.
However, if Le Bris’ men are to get anywhere near emulating such a run this season, a much improved display will be needed during the next round of the competition.
As a result, he should be looking to utilise a stronger squad, which should see striker Wilson Isidor being dropped from the starting eleven after his showing last night.
The Haitian international made his first start of the campaign last night, but such a performance was evidence as to why Brian Brobbey is the club’s number one centre-forward option.
He featured for 79 minutes of the encounter at the Stadium of Light, but could only register 16 touches of the ball – a tally fewer than goalkeeper Melker Ellborg, who registered 38.
His lack of impact within attacking areas was evident in his passes completed, with his tally of just five passes seeing him complete one pass every 15 minutes.
In front of goal, Isidor struggled just as much, subsequently failing to place any of his three shots on target – which saw him fail to test Dillon Phillips in the opposition’s goal.
Wilson Isidor – stats against Hull | |
|---|---|
Statistics | Tally |
Minutes played | 79 |
Touches | 16 |
Passes completed | 5 |
Shots on target | 0 |
Chances created | 0 |
Duels lost | 68% |
Offsides | 2 |
Fouls committed | 1 |
Like the other attackers around him, the 26-year-old was often unable to fend the defenders off in possession, resulting in him also losing 68% of his duels in the North East.
There’s no denying Isidor looked to get in behind the backline and cause them trouble, but his lack of awareness in the final third saw him stray offside on two occasions.
After such a performance, it’s clear that the Haiti star is no longer at the level needed to be a player who can lead the line on a consistent basis throughout 2026/27.
Whilst he may be a fan favourite at the Stadium of Light, Le Bris desperately needs to drop the forward from his starting eleven if the club are to be successful throughout this campaign.
