Sunderland rubbed salt in rivals Newcastle United's wounds with a savage team photo after they picked up a hard-fought derby victory on Sunday at the Stadium of Light. Taking all three points at home, the Black Cats extended their unbeaten run against their fiercest rivals to 10 Premier League matches, with their last encounter happening nine years ago in 2016.
Sunderland have paid tribute to Gary Rowell after the club legend passed away at the age of 68. The Black Cats have announced they will honour their legendary goalscorer, who died following a long battle with leukaemia, when they host Newcastle United in Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby at the Stadium of Light. Both clubs have sent heartfelt messages to Rowell's family ahead of the Premier League game.
Manchester United are reportedly eyeing Sunderland midfielder Noah Sadiki following his sensational Premier League start, with Chelsea also keeping a tab on the £15 million ($20m) star. Ruben Amorim has urged the board to sign at least one midfielder in the summer of 2026 after missing out on Brighton's Carlos Baleba. They are also monitoring the likes of Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton and Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson.
Sunderland stars Wilson Isidor and Noah Sadiki were left in hysterics after seeing a Black Cats fan deliver a brutal one-liner at the expense of former Newcastle striker Alexander Isak. The Sweden international left Tyneside during the summer of 2025, with his transfer wishes finally being granted - after going AWOL at one stage - when a £125 million ($167m) move to Liverpool was completed.
Former Premier League boss Gus Poyet has quit his post at South Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors days after his assistant manager departed amid a racism scandal. Poyet, who guided Jeonbuk to both the K League 1 title and the Korea Cup this season, informed the club he wished to terminate his contract after Mauricio Taricco was handed a severe punishment for what league officials deemed a racist gesture towards referee Kim Woo-seong.
Pep Guardiola compared his Manchester City star playmaker Rayan Cherki to Lionel Messi after the Frenchman pulled off an audacious rabona in his side's 3-0 win over Sunderland. Cherki produced his second assist of the game to set up Phil Foden with an outrageous piece of skill and Guardiola, who coached Messi for four years at Barcelona, claimed the Argentine had never produced a moment like it.
Rayan Cherki delivered a masterclass in skills to inspire Manchester City to a 3-0 win over Sunderland which showed they mean business in the title race. The Frenchman produced the moment of the game by serving up a header for Phil Foden with an outrageous rabona straight from the streets of Lyon, crowning a dominant win for Pep Guardiola's side after goals from Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been forced to explain some big selection calls, with Mohamed Salah named among the substitutes again for the Reds’ Premier League clash with Sunderland. The Egyptian superstar failed to make it off the bench in a welcome win over West Ham - ending a run of featuring in every match under Slot. He was involved against Sunderland, but was only introduced at half-time.
Florian Wirtz was denied a first strike for Liverpool after the Premier League's goal accreditation panel judged his effort against Sunderland to be an own goal from Nordi Mukiele. The German midfielder showed great close control to weave his way through the penalty box before shooting, with his effort taking a significant deflection off the Black Cats defender on its way into the back of the net.
Steven Gerrard has been told to be on standby for a phone call from Liverpool as Arne Slot's future hangs in the balance at Anfield. The Reds have been on a dismal run that has seen them win just two of their last five Premier League games, and Rio Ferdinand believes Gerrard could be drafted in to right the ship.
U.S. international Tyler Adams stunned the Stadium of Light with an audacious 43-yard rocket, pushing AFC Bournemouth into a 2-0 lead over Sunderland just 15 minutes into Saturday’s Premier League clash. Spotting Robin Roefs off his line, the USMNT midfielder looped a brilliant effort from near the center circle into the net.
Sunderland are preparing a stunning €30 million (£26m) move for AC Milan striker Santiago Gimenez, with reports in Italy claiming the “monster offer” has already satisfied the Rossoneri hierarchy. They are ready to accept a loan-with-obligation deal in January, leaving the Premier League side now working to convince the hesitant Mexico international to join their ambitious project.
This time last year, the narrative around Chelsea's meeting with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge focused on whether Cole Palmer had reached Bukayo Saka-levels of stardom. He had taken west London by storm during his first year with the Blues and was spearheading an unlikely title charge through the autumn. Now, though, the debate between the two rivals has shifted to midfielders Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice.
Regis Le Bris has responded to mounting speculation linking Sunderland with the signing of Marseille's Matteo Guendouzi. While the Black Cats boss did not commit to an approach for the ex-Arsenal midfielder in the January transfer window, he spoke positively of their relationship. Le Bris was managing Lorient's B team as Guendouzi was coming through the ranks at the French club.
There's been a lot of talk lately about the Premier League as a product. Is modern football actually boring? Are teams now too reliant on set pieces to score goals? Are the mavericks and the willing protagonists being silenced just to preserve their manager's tactics? Have we gone too far in pursuit of sporting perfection?
Granit Xhaka has been linked with a stunning January move to Juventus just six months after joining Sunderland, with Italian reports claiming the midfielder is “back in fashion” for the Serie A giants. His entourage is said to be open to offers, but it has been reported in England that Sunderland have assured the Swiss star is not for sale as he continues to drive the Black Cats’ impressive season.
Santiago Giménez’s future at AC Milan has become increasingly uncertain, even though his contract runs through 2029. Local reports suggest the Mexican striker may be nearing the end of his spell at San Siro, drawing interest from several clubs across Europe - including a surprising contender in the Premier League with Sunderland.
Brentford and Sunderland are reportedly eyeing AC Milan striker Santiago Gimenez ahead of the January transfer window, despite the Mexican international failing to score in his first nine Serie A appearances this season. Milan's pursuit of a new number nine is said to be contingent on Gimenez's departure, with the Rossoneri evaluating a potential swap deal with West Ham for Niclas Fullkrug.
Switzerland and Sunderland star Granit Xhaka has sent out a strong message to an international team-mate who is complaining about his lack of game time after being left out of the latest squad for World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Kosovo. The 33-year-old midfielder says players should do their talking on the pitch and admits at times there's a need to simply "shut up".
Chris Waddle has slammed Mikel Arteta for his supposed criticism of Sunderland's tactics as the Arsenal manager was told to stick to his own job. The Gunners boss' frustration was palpable after his side let a precious victory slip through their fingers in stoppage time and had to settle for a point instead in Saturday's 2-2 draw.
Wayne Rooney has hailed Granit Xhaka as "probably the signing of the season" after the veteran midfielder's remarkable influence on Sunderland's stunning Premier League return. The 33-year-old Swiss star has been pivotal in the newly promoted side's rise to fourth place, guiding a young squad with leadership, consistency, and class since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.
The weekend before an international break always feels significant. Pick up a positive result and the only thing a manager really has to worry about is players suffering injury while representing their countries. A defeat, though, results in two torturous weeks as the result is pored over in the press while the coach waits for the opportunity to make amends.
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris admitted to making a sly tactical tweak to try and prevent Arsenal's long throws. It was one of those epic Premier League encounters that saw Arsenal’s title charge momentarily halted by the fearless Black Cats, who matched the intensity of their more illustrious rivals in every department and also employed some unusual help.