Sunderland’s West Ham Win Signals Premier League Ambition - But Can They Last the Distance?

Sunderland shocked the world with a statement opening day victory over West Ham United on Saturday. The 3-0 scoreline was a declaration that broke over two years of stigma surrounding newly promoted teams, setting up a blueprint for others to follow, and sending a message to the league: the Black Cats are no walkovers.

Yeah, we're back.

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) August 16, 2025

Breaking Down Sunderland's Dominant Display

Regis Le Bris selected a 4-3-3 formation to kick off the campaign. A lineup which consisted of seven new faces from the summer transfer window and an entirely new midfield three. The triangle of Granit Xhaka, Noah Sadiki, and Habib Diarra completely changed the game.

As the newly elected club captain, Xhaka gelled with his youthful counterparts (both Diarra and Sadiki were born in 2004), acting as a leader and guide. Sadiki and Xhaka positioned themselves further back, closer to the defensive line, and worked overtime off the ball to cover every inch of the middle third. This made it extremely hard for Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta, West Ham’s main creative outlets, to flourish. Often finding themselves in difficult one-on-one situations.

Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra yesterday pic.twitter.com/O8qc2tQjiY

— BarcaT (@Tonyvyncent) August 17, 2025

Diarra, the third midfielder playing in front of Sunderland’s double pivot, was excellent in transition, showcasing strong chemistry with fellow attackers, Eliezer Mayenda and Chemsdine Talbi, to find himself in some promising attacking positions.

In the first half, the Black Cats were presented with an issue in the shape of Nayef Aguerd, Max Kilman, and Jean-Clair Todibo. The Hammers’ three centre-backs were able to mark Sunderland’s front three man-to-man, reducing Sunderland’s attack to 0.3 xG and two shots on target in the opening 45.

👉Sunderland: 3 Goals (10 Shots, 5 On Target, 0.71 xG)

👉West Ham United: 0 Goal (12 Shots, 4 On Target, 0.6 xG)#SUNWHU pic.twitter.com/aXxM7m4jqh

— EPL - Analytics (@DataAnalyticEPL) August 16, 2025

Le Bris’ soldiers continued to allow West Ham time on the ball after the break. Sunderland’s possession percentage stayed between 37% and 38% across the full 90 minutes, but hundreds of passes were not needed to be effective. Instead, two excellently executed headers within the space of 12 minutes were all that was required to seal three points.

Mayenda and Daniel Ballard rose above West Ham’s defence of giants to power home two memorable headers. Yet it was Mayenda’s that stood out, not only as Sunderland’s first Premier League goal in over eight years but also due to its careful nature, bouncing into the goal in slow-motion like fashion.

Man mountain ⛰️💪 pic.twitter.com/0D6w0GUsO1

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) August 17, 2025

Northern Irish duo Trai Hume and the aforementioned Ballard instantly looked Premier League quality upon stepping up to the top tier. They made up the right-hand side of a defence that looked competent and solid, keeping Niclas Fullkrug silent all game.

Reinildo, Omar Alderete, and Robin Roefs all contributed to Sunderland’s clean sheet as well. The trio of signings from the continent cost a combined total of just over £20 million. Forcing the question: if this is Sunderland’s team in the first fixture of the season, then what beast will they become by matchweek 20?

A Calculated Blueprint for Success

Burnley awaits the Black Cats next, and despite finishing 24 points ahead of them in the Championship last season, will be nervously awaiting their promoted counterparts after last week’s performance.

In each of the last two campaigns, it took seven matches for a team fresh out of the Championship to secure a victory. Sunderland has smashed this habit out of the park; their triumph is reminiscent of Bournemouth and Fulham’s positive start to the 2022/23 season. The last time newly promoted sides tasted success on the opening weekend.

The failed attempts at top-flight survival from the last six teams to reach the heights of the Premier League have left the 17 who happily head into their fourth straight season together in a false sense of security. From expansive and open styles of football to stubbornness and poor transfer decisions, there have been key reasons behind why the league has appeared more closed off than it truly is. Factors which Sunderland has paid attention to.

The Black Cats have bought broadly, aiming for European markets like France, Belgium, and Spain, instead of the Championship. A Championship Playoff Final win, and the sale of Jobe Bellingham (who realistically was an unknown quantity in a top-five league) have given Sunderland a lucrative budget to splash. They have already bought in nine players who commanded eight-digit transfer fees, already more than Leicester, Southampton, or Ipswich did 12 months ago.

🇨🇭 Granit Xhaka
🇳🇱 Robin Roefs
🇨🇮 Simon Adingra
🇲🇿 Reinildo
🇨🇩 Noah Sadiki
🇸🇳 Habib Diarra
🇲🇦 Chemsdine Talbi
🇵🇾 Omar Alderete

Régis Le Bris handed out eight debuts yesterday, the most in a single game in the Club's history 🤯

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) August 17, 2025

In fact, Sunderland’s investment in £20 million+ players is already nearing the amount that Fulham, Brentford, and Wolves have made since they all last entered the league, some of the clubs whose Premier League spots will be under threat.

Pragmatic Tactics and a Favourable Start

Sunderland demonstrated on Saturday that they enjoy playing out of possession in a compact, low-block formation, a well-suited style for Premier League challengers looking to cause a stir. What's more, Le Bris is a flexible manager who is not afraid to switch up his tactics if required, an absolute necessity.

‘‘We won’t play like Guardiola because we are Sunderland and I’m Regis Le Bris’’
Sunderland not doing a Russell Martin passes obsession, gift opposition goals approach.
I prayed for promoted clubs to play like this. pic.twitter.com/tYiMgokYJ0

— Rafa Fans (@RafaFansss) August 16, 2025

Their transfer strategies have confirmed that they plan to catch teams out with rapid breaks. Signings pacey wingers like Talbi and Simon Adingra. As well as top progressive passers like Xhaka and Sadiki.

No team has ever faced the drop after earning eight points from the opening five games. The Black Cat’s fixture list for the next few weeks sees them play Burnley, Brentford, Crystal Palace, and Aston Villa. Meaning that the eight-point figure is not an unrealistic goal, and Sunderland’s survival chances are far from impractical.