Sunderland Faces Setback Against West Ham Amid Injury Concerns

Sunderland has emerged as one of the season’s unexpected success stories following their promotion from the Championship, amassing 33 points from their first 23 matches in the Premier League. However, their latest match resulted in a 3-1 defeat to West Ham, with goals from Crysencio Summerville, Jarrod Bowen, and Mateus Fernandes, while Brian Brobbey provided a consolation goal for Sunderland.

The team was without Granit Xhaka, who has been one of the standout players in the league this season, due to an ankle injury expected to sideline him for a minimum of two weeks. Sunderland’s manager, Regis Le Bris, commented: “He has an ankle injury, so he’ll need at least two weeks to recover, after which we will conduct another assessment to determine the exact duration of his absence.”

During the match, Xhaka was observed in a discussion with a West Ham fan, which escalated into an altercation. The game was briefly halted as players and officials intervened, with Xhaka reportedly provoked by taunts from West Ham supporters.

Le Bris stated that he could not witness the incident, remarking, “The bench is too far from the sideline; I don’t know what happened.”

West Ham’s manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, acknowledged awareness of the situation during the stoppage but remained focused on the match’s officiating, inquiring about the added time.

Following the match, Xhaka took to Instagram to share a post with the caption: “Not on the pitch today, but always with the team. Trust the boys. I’ll be back soon.”

This is not the first time Xhaka has been involved in a contentious exchange with fans; he previously reacted strongly to being booed off by Arsenal supporters in 2019. After enduring significant online abuse, the club acknowledged that he had reached a breaking point. Xhaka continued with Arsenal until 2023 before transferring to Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the 2023-24 Bundesliga title under coach Xabi Alonso.

Currently, Sunderland is positioned 13 points clear of the relegation zone, looking well on track to secure a second consecutive season in the Premier League. Nevertheless, a strong finish is essential as they face a challenging February, beginning with a match against struggling Burnley, followed by fixtures against Arsenal and Liverpool, and an FA Cup tie against Oxford United before taking on Fulham and Bournemouth.

Reflecting on the match, Le Bris remarked: “Yes, they were better than us in the first half, scoring three times and potentially more. They dominated duels, displayed greater composure, and consistently threatened our goal.

“We had a similar performance against Manchester City, utilizing two more creative midfielders, and I had anticipated a better workflow. The team selection is not the main issue; it is more about our performance in that first half. We can discuss tactics, our defensive and offensive strategies, but ultimately it comes down to individual performance, which fell short of our standards. When that happens in this league, you get punished.”