Sunderland recorded their sixth away win of the season with a third-straight clean sheet to shutout play-off bound West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns after Brandon Thomas-Asante's red card.
Thomas-Asante was dismissed after picking up two yellow cards within the space of a minute before Pierre Ekwah instantly made Sunderland's numerical advantage count when converting from a corner in first half stoppage time.
Sunderland were able to navigate their way through the second half relatively unscathed as interim head coach Mike Dodds was able to cap a positive week following the goalless draw with Leeds United on Tuesday.
We Are Sunderland reflects on the key talking points from the West Midlands:
Unchanged – but why?
For the first time in this, his 10th game of this third spell in interim charge, Dodds named an unchanged line-up following the stalemate with Leeds in the week, but was it for the right reasons?
Having come back from the international break and produced, arguably, their best performance of 2024 away at Cardiff City – a fixture which provided their only win in 11 Championship games heading into the trip to the Hawthorns, Dodds opted to change that winning team three days later against Blackburn Rovers. What transpired is likely fixated in both the supporters’ mind and Dodds’ in a 5-1 home defeat.
Since then, Sunderland produced back-to-back shutouts against Bristol City and Leeds, both with different shapes and personnel. But having changed things in the aftermath of a positive result against Cardiff, you wonder how much that played on Dodds’ mind here to keep with what produced a respectable result at Elland Road in midweek?
Three-game weeks often bring with them an easy-out, as such, for managers and head coaches in being able to rotate their squads but Dodds stuck with the same XI after a positive night against Leeds. It was Sunderland’s fourth shutout in five Championship games – a welcome boost defensively after that Blackburn nightmare and one they were able to add to at the Hawthorns, with Dodds justified in his approach of sticking with the same line-up.
Is this now the Sunderland way?
In that respect, is this now what Sunderland are?
Dodds’ success in his previous stint in charge in December, in the reverse fixtures against both Leeds and West Brom, were built upon the foundations of a solid defensive set-up. Since taking over following the departure of Michael Beale, we have seen Dodds deviate several times from those two games – you could argue overcomplicating things in doing so.
Yet after a dogged display in Yorkshire, becoming the first side in 2024 to prevent Leeds from scoring, Dodds continued with his rigid defensive shape; five at the back out of possession, with wing-backs Timothee Pembele and Callum Styles tasked with bombing forward in possession before we did get a glimpse of Styles in his preferred midfield role late in the game as Sunderland endeavoured to snuff out any West Brom fightback in transitions.
Sunderland remained disciplined once more as West Brom enjoyed the lions share of possession throughout the first half – Dodds justified by virtue of another clean sheet in that opening half, restricting the home side to just five efforts from goal, all from outside the area.
It was frustrating for the home side and equally, you could argue, frustrating for away supporters in the sense that they enjoyed their side being so free-flowing on this very ground 12-months ago. It may just be a sign of where Sunderland are at in comparison to a year ago, but it also suggests just how much that defeat to Blackburn has likely stuck with Dodds.
Pleasing on the eye or not, it has proved effective for Dodds and Sunderland both recently in this period in charge, as well as his second interim spell back in December. But there will be a hope that Sunderland can marry up this kind of defensive structure with a more threatening attacking output next season.
READ MORE:
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No jeopardy and you can tell
Both teams weren’t helped by the dreaded ‘end of season feel’ surrounding the Hawthorns heading into the game.
Sunderland’s return of five points from 12 since returning from the international break heading into the game, while not spectacular, has been enough to deter any fears of being dragged into a relegation battle and sees them reside comfortably in mid-table before this result was enough to mathematically seeing them over them over the line.
As much as managers and players will voice otherwise, it’s hard to shirk that feeling of ‘nothing to play for’ in games like this. West Brom, by contrast, had all but assured their play-off status heading into the game, with a nine point gap over seventh-placed Coventry City, which brought about its own element of hesitancy, and it translated onto the pitch.
Sunderland’s tentative approach surrendered possession to the home side who were happy to play from defence looking to penetrate Sunderland’s mid-to-low block and back five, but offered very little tempo, urgency or creativity to do so. Equally, Sunderland were content at sitting in and stifling once more.
The first half was typified by both teams registering a combined xG of just 0.35 as well as the lack of impetus to press the opposition. Kye Bartley was afforded the luxury of a miscue in his own defensive third without a Sunderland shirt within 20-yards while at the other end from a Darnell Furlong cross, Ekwah was allowed the freedom of the penalty area to control on his chest for Luke O’Nien to clear forward.
The biggest talking point was the hostile reception for Dan Ballard, owing to his involvement in Josh Maja’s injury in the reverse fixture at the Stadium of Light. Ballard was the target of criticism from West Brom supporters as well as a pretty robust approach from the home side all afternoon, but it was one where he was able to enjoy the last laugh as he serenaded the away end at full-time with an added enthusiasm after banking another clean sheet with Sunderland's victory.
In truth, however, this was a game which was all too flat given the lack of jeopardy involved for both sides. That was until the final minute of the half where the game essentially turned on it’s head.
A game-changing minute
West Brom had dominated possession for the majority of the first half which gives even greater justification to the disappointment Carlos Corberan must have felt when seeing two moments of madness from Thomas-Asante in quick succssion.
The forward, himself, may have been frustrated at his lack of opportunities in the first half in what was a heavily congested area owing to Sunderland’s set-up and that frustration boiled over with two cynical challenges within the space of a minute which gave referee Matthew Donohue no option but to give Thomas-Asante his marching orders.
First, he went flying into a challenge with Jack Clarke on the halfway line in an attempt to retrieve what was a heavy touch from Clarke. Clarke just about saw the challenge coming and was able to avert anything serious but there was enough intent to be shown a yellow card.
Within seconds, however, Thomas-Asante was shown another yellow card for an even worse challenge on Ballard. The defender, keen to bring the ball out from defence, was caught on his knee by Thomas-Asante, an incident which looked particularly dangerous on reflection, as he was shown a second yellow and sent off.
Playing against 10-men can be attritional at times as teams retreat into a more compact structure, but Sunderland made very quick use of their numerical advantage by taking a lead into the break.
Sunderland had rarely threatened West Brom’s defensive third throughout the opening 45 minutes before winning a corner in stoppage time. Styles sent an out-swinger from the left into the penalty area where Ekwah found himself unmarked 12-yards out to expertly finish at first-team beyond the rooted Alex Palmer in what turned out to be the only goal of the contest.
A better run of form
It’s not perfect from Sunderland, and there are plenty of holes still to pick apart. But the outlier of the Blackburn defeat aside, Dodds has seemingly garnered a response of sorts from his squad after their return from the international break.
After four defeats in five games it prompted calls for the club’s hierarchy to consider moving up their head coach search in fear of a prolonged finish to the season without a win. That changed with the win over Cardiff on Good Friday and has now been added to with victory at the Hawthorns.
Two wins in 12 Championship games remains far from the kind of form Sunderland aspire to, or should have, but at least they are emerging with something as we head into the final weeks of the season.
Back-to-back trips to Leeds and West Brom are difficult at any stage of the season, let alone when you are out of form, but Dodds has been able to see a response from his players. This now sees three straight clean sheets, a fifth in six games, and sees Sunderland unbeaten on their travels in three successive games as they continue to make small strides back in the right direction.
Last season it was their away form which presided over their play-off push, including victory on this ground, but it has been severely lacking this season. Sunderland putting pegs in place to try and rectify that going into next season is, at least, a positive as they were able to manage things pretty comfortably against the 10-men of West Brom in the second half.
Patterson concern
It hasn’t been quite the perfect week for Dodds – last weekend’s stalemate with Bristol City an obvious frustration given Sunderland’s relative dominance in the game. But four points from six in these two away fixtures will give him plenty of reason to be satisfied over the coming days before a potential concern regarding goalkeeper Anthony Patterson late in the game.
Patterson went down off the ball clutching towards his hamstring in the closing stages and while there may have been an element of gamesmanship to it to take any proverbial sting out of West Brom’s infrequent attempts to get back into the game, it will be one for Dodds to monitor ahead of the final three games.
Patterson has been under scrutiny at times this season but is another who finds himself in the category of ‘Premier League potential,’ not least given the rumoured interest in his services over the course of the last year – something which will only increase given this run of clean sheets. Back-up goalkeeper Nathan Bishop wasn’t needed on this occasion but it will be interesting to see whether Patterson sees out the season with his impressive run of consecutive starts for the club having reached triple figures in recent weeks.
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