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The Momentum Report - Sunderland v Brentford

The Momentum Report - Sunderland v Brentford

Ed Brown
Ed Brown
AUG 30, 2025

Wow, ‘Til the End continues to ring true, as Sunderland leave it until the 96th minute to score the winner against Brentford.

Match Report

Enzo Le Fée replaced Simon Adingra in the Starting XI, with Nordi Mukiele making his Premier League debut over the injured Dan Ballard.

It was a scrappy and mostly flat fixture for the vast majority, although Dango Ouattara did put the ball in the net 23 minutes in, but was ruled out for offside by VAR.

The game fired into life in the second half, with more chances as a product of end-to-end play, with plenty of corners. Reinildo held and pulled down Nathan Collins for a somewhat questionable penalty from one of said corners, which set a precedent for the rest of the match. However, Kevin Schade placed his penalty poorly, and Robin Roefs saved with ease.

The end-to-end play led to Igor Thiago’s 77th-minute opener, an inch-perfect cross from Onyeka unlocked Thiago for a free header, clattering onto the underside of the post, past Roefs.

Sunderland looked somewhat down and out, needing to find an answer. In stepped Rico Henry, who brought down Habib Diarra in a similar fashion to the Brentford penalty, and Anthony Taylor didn't hesitate to point to the spot. Enzo Le Fée stepped up and sent Kelleher the wrong way, 1-1.

With Wearside bouncing, Sunderland drove forward, looking for all three points. 96th-minute, Granit Xhaka whips in a cross towards the new father Wilson Isidor, who placed a header perfectly underneath the off-balance Kelleher to win the game for the Black Cats. They love to leave it late in Sunderland.

Player Rankings

Robin Roefs - 9/10

A penalty save will always leave you with a solid rating as a keeper, but nevertheless, an all-around great game for the newly called-up Dutch international, backed up by his stats: three total saves and 80% pass completion.

Reinildo - 6/10

The Mozambique international has been nothing short of elite since signing for Sunderland, including against Brentford. However, a yellow card and giving away a penalty lowers his rating.

Omar Alderete - 7/10

A commanding display from the Paraguayan in the middle, Alderete channelled his inner playoff Dan Ballard by making seven clearances and two interceptions.

Nordi Mukiele - 7/10

A mighty fine Premier League debut from Mukiele, with six clearances and winning six of his duels. Hopefully, the knock he picked up and fought through is only a minor setback as the French International will prove pivotal for Regis Le Bris moving forward.

Trai Hume - 7/10

Yet another vintage Huuuuuuume performance, further proving he is comfortable in top-flight Football. However, crossing remains a point of emphasis to improve upon for the Northern Irish international, with none reaching their target on five attempts.

Granit Xhaka - 8/10

I usually mark down a player if they pick up a booking, but Xhaka’s performance today forces me to overlook it. A pinpoint cross to assist the added time winner, an anchor in the midfield causing problems for Brentford all day, what a performance.

Noah Sadiki - 7/10

Another solid performance for Noah Sadiki, creating two chances for his squad, while yet again being everywhere, all over the park.

Habib Diarra - 7/10

Similarly to Xhaka, Diarra isn't marked down for his yellow card due to a quality performance. Not only winning the equalising penalty, but four touches in the Brentford box, three shots, and winning 100% of his duels. Short of a direct goal involvement, a classy performance.

Enzo Le Fée - 9/10

When the teamsheet came out, I was critical of Le Fée being put on the wing. However, I directly apologise to both Le Fée and Regis Le Bris, because WOW. Calmly slotting the equalising penalty past Kelleher, creating another chance, 100% successful dribbles, hats off to you, Enzo.

Chemsdine Talbi - 6/10

In the Momentum Preview, I predicted Talbi would be dropped, and perhaps he should’ve been. Yet again, nothing particularly wrong with Talbi’s performance at all, but the game changed once he was taken off.

Eliezer Mayenda - 6/10

Mayenda was isolated today, with only seven touches all game. Perhaps he needed better service, perhaps he needed to get more involved himself, but not his finest game, that's for sure.

Substitutes

Simon Adingra - 6/10: Looked lively when he was introduced, 100% pass accuracy and tackles completed, good showing off the bench.

Wilson Isidor - 9/10: Yet another perfect substitute cameo from Wilson, won us the game, and he did his job.

Marc Guiu - N/A: Only played three minutes, but was on the pitch making a difference when the game was won.

What's Next?

Unfortunately, the international break beckons. Sunderland host Crystal Palace in a fortnight, where the Stadium of Light will yet again be rocking off its foundations.

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