Sunderland

Colombian striker Kevin Viveros, 26, is nearing a new deal with Athletico Paranaense after attracting interest from Sunderland and Aston Villa over the summer. (ESPN Brazil, via Sunderland Echo, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Arsenal at the Stadium of Light (20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Le Bris confirmed winger Romain Mundle has sustained a new knee injury: "It is a shame because he worked so hard in the summer and had a good pre-season. He is talented, a really good winger, so we support and back him for the next period. We hope he will be ready at the end of the year."

• He added that Habib Diarra is "in the middle" of his recovery period from a hamstring injury.

• On winger Nilson Angulo's start to the season: "He arrived in the winter last year and it is not an easy period. He got an injury really quickly. He is a nice person, a really good player, with a different culture - so it takes time to adapt. The World Cup helped his confidence and now he is getting better game by game. I think it is just the beginning for him."

• When asked about a new mural detailing the Black Cats' rise from League One to Europe and his pride at leading them now, Le Bris said: "Really proud to be manager of this club in this period. The emotions, the journey, the connection with the fans, the region, the momentum of the club - it is a privilege to be in this position. I enjoy every second. We are working together really hard behind the scenes and it's really good to be in this situation."

• On Brian Brobbey, who scored a late equaliser in this fixture last season: "He's a great striker. He needed time to settle in and struggled a bit physically at the beginning because he had an incomplete pre-season. Now he is in a really good place. He's so physical and he's getting better game by game. We will see the best of him sooner or later."

• On the challenge of facing champions Arsenal: "This season, they are flying. They are one of the best teams in Europe. Five wins in a row so the run is really impressive. We learned that to be competitive in this kind of game you have to be yourself. The more you have this underdog mentality, togetherness, connection with the fans, intensity until the end - it is very important. The flexibility and clarity of the game model [is important] because they are so adaptive. We have to adapt in real time."

• Asked whether his team will have to be perfect to get a result against the Gunners, Le Bris said: "It is not possible to be perfect but we have to stay true to our ideas. When you face a really strong opponent you can be a bit shy. The best learning from last season was that if we are ourselves - no regret. They will find solutions but we are getting better with flexibility and how we adapt when something unexpected happens. It will be challenging but I am very excited to experience this situation again."

• On the importance of the home fans be under the lights on Saturday night: "It's a powerful driver. It starts from us - the way we play and how we impose our ideas. If we are proactive they are behind us. They back us and they feed the energy for the press, second balls, counter-attacks and so on. The connection with the fans helps us a lot."

Hit play above to hear more from Le Bris or listen on BBC Sounds

Got a question about Sunderland? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

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The Premier League has announced it will stage seven matches on Boxing Day this year after releasing its festive schedule.

Four fixtures will be staged at 15:00 GMT, with further matches played at 12:30, 17:30 and 20:00.

The fixture programme for 26 December, which falls on a Saturday in 2026, is considerably bigger than last year, when one game was held.

Three matches will be played on Sunday, 27 December, while three further rounds of games will be held over a period up to Thursday, 7 January.

A round of evening midweek fixtures will staged on 29-30 December, while Leeds will host Everton (20:00) for the only match on New Year's Day.

The remainder of that round will be held over the weekend of 2-3 January, with the fourth round of games spread across the evenings of 5-7 January.

The Premier League has brought forward the announcement of fixture scheduling over the Christmas and New Year period after consultation with both broadcast partners and the Football Supporters' Association and representatives from club Fan Advisory Boards.

Television scheduling for Premier League fixtures has been announced up to Monday, 2 November, with broadcast selections for the remaining games in November and December to be announced in the weeks commencing 21 September and 19 October respectively.

The Premier League has guaranteed clubs at least a 60-hour break between fixtures over the festive period to address the concerns over a congested festive schedule that follows recent expansions of the European and international calendars.

Premier League Christmas and New Year schedule

Saturday, 26 December

12:30 Aston Villa v Leeds

15:00 Everton v Sunderland

15:00 Fulham v Brighton

15:00 Ipswich v Brentford

15:00 Spurs v AFC Bournemouth

17:30 Hull v Liverpool

20:00 Newcastle v Manchester City

Sunday, 27 December

14:00 Coventry v Chelsea

16:30 Manchester Utd v Nottingham Forest

19:00 Crystal Palace v Arsenal

Tuesday, 29 December

19:30 Hull v Leeds

19:30 Spurs v Brighton

20:15 Everton v Manchester City

Wednesday, 30 December

19:30 Coventry v Brentford

19:30 Crystal Palace v AFC Bournemouth

19:30 Fulham v Arsenal

19:30 Manchester United v Sunderland

19:30 Newcastle v Nottingham Forest

20:15 Aston Villa v Liverpool

20:15 Ipswich v Chelsea

Friday, 1 January

20:00 Leeds v Everton

Saturday, 2 January

12:30 Brighton v Manchester United

15:00 Arsenal v Ipswich

15:00 Brentford v Crystal Palace

15:00 Liverpool v Coventry

15:00 Nottingham Forest v Fulham

15:00 Sunderland v Hull

17:30 AFC Bournemouth v Aston Villa

Sunday, 3 January

14:00 Chelsea v Newcastle

16:30 Manchester City v Spurs

Tuesday, 5 January

19:30 Arsenal v Brentford

19:30 Brighton v AFC Bournemouth

19:30 Everton v Aston Villa

19:30 Nottingham Forest v Hull

20:15 Sunderland v Liverpool

Wednesday, 6 January

19:30 Crystal Palace v Chelsea

19:30 Fulham v Spurs

19:30 Ipswich v Coventry

20:15 Leeds v Manchester City

Thursday, 7 January

20:00 Manchester United v Newcastle

It has been a tumultuous period for Sunderland midfielder Chemsdine Talbi - a strong 2026 World Cup campaign with Morocco, linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, and excluded from Regis le Bris' Europa League squad.

However, Black Cats sporting director Florent Ghisolfi told the Sunderland Echo, external: "Chemsdine will stay with us - 100%."

Ghisolfi added that Talbi's exclusion from the Europa League squad was the result of him holding "conversations with very good clubs" during the transfer window.

"Because we were in conversations, if we put him on the list and after that he was left, we could lose this slot for eight games," he explained.

Former Sunderland forward Marco Gabbiadini told BBC Radio Newcastle that Talbi "looked cool and calm" in the 1-0 victory over Hull City on Tuesday.

Talbi marked his first start of the season with a goal, as Le Bris' side progressed to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

"He is a talented player and he had a big influence last season. A great result and a nice way to win the game," added Gabbiadini.

Hit play above to hear more from Gabbiadini or listen on BBC Sounds here

Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg says there is a "fighting spirit" among the squad to prove people wrong this season.

Rigg was one of 11 changes made from the team that drew with Brentford on the weekend to the side that beat Hull City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, and believes there are a lot of players trying to earn their place.

"It's been mentioned that we're one of the favourites to go down again and of course we hear that in the changing room and it fuels us for the coming weeks," Rigg said.

"It's a good thing for us because we're always known as the underdogs, even in the Championship we were the underdogs, we're just going to keep going with that fighting spirit.

"We want to take it game-by-game but we've also got to think that there's a lot of games coming up and our squad depth is good now - we've got a lot of players fighting for their place.

"Most of the lads decided to stay here because they know what we want to do by the end of the season. We want to do well in the league and we want to do well in Europe, and it's a big challenge for everyone. We're all really excited for it."

Listen to the full chat by pressing play above or on BBC Sounds here

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's Carabao Cup tie between Sunderland and Hull City.

Here are some of your comments:

Sunderland fans:

Graham: Good solid performance to progress with 11 changes from the weekend. All three new signings had a good game, with Jules Ahoka playing particularly well. Fantastic finish from Chemsdine Talbi to win the game. Confidence-building and match practice for all involved.

Ian: A well organised run out for Sunderland. They didn't look like world beaters tonight with a changed team. Talbi's goal was sublime and a worthy match-winner. The debutants looked like decent additions. Positive result.

Will: Considering it was an entirely rotated XI, very promising. Depth in the squad is at levels we probably have never had before. Ahoka one to watch, seems very tidy for a player who has played a handful of senior games.

Hull fans:

Chris: It would have been a bonus to win this, however staying in the Premier League must remain our priority this year. Pleased some of our new players got an outing, hopefully that will bode well for the next tricky game against Chelsea. Up the Tigers!

Richard: Team did not gel, especially the defence. Gelhardt should have made it 1-1 and it looked as though Hull should have had a penalty a few minutes into the game. However, Sunderland deserve to go through.

Rod: Strategic loss for Hull. The last thing they need is extended cup runs eating away at their efforts to stay up in the Premier League.

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris, speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle after the Black Cats' third round Carabao Cup victory over Hull City: "Making 11 changes is not very easy for the working flow of the squad.

"First half was probably connected with the lack of references, but the energy was good, I think, especially at the start.

"Second half was a bit better. A bit more composure, a bit more fluidity in our game. We found a way to score, which is good."

On Chemsdine Talbi staying at the club and his performance: "I am pleased because he is a good player.

"I had this conversation before, now it is clear that he wants to stay with us. Happy to have him in the squad.

"He showed today he can even play in a different position in this 10 position. I think it was really good in transition, the ability to exploit big spaces and his finishing was great.

"I think he has this quality. Especially when we can regain the ball a bit deeper. The ability to repeat sprints at high intensity is fantastic.

"He is good, he can drive the ball and he can give and go. His finishing ability is superb."

On Jocelin Ta Bi: "Jocelin is getting better.

"He needs game time and experience, so this one was really important. Probably in the first half, he was a bit shy.

"Progressively, he showed he has good qualities, especially on the ball. I think it is just the beginning for him because he needs confidence, and he has the ability to be a really strong winger."

Listen to more match reaction from Chris Rigg on BBC Sounds

Sunderland winger Chemsdine Talbi. 21, is close to agreeing a deal to sign for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Sunderland's performance

What did you make of Hull City's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Wednesday for a selection of your replies.

There are five games in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Bournemouth v Lincoln City

• Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Leyton Orient v Bradford City

• Sunderland v Hull City

• Millwall v Newcastle (20:00)

Kick-off times 19:45 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live EFL Cup commentary on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Crystal Palace match".

There's also Champions League action happening on Tuesday - follow those games here

New this season: Live match updates

Fans of Premier League clubs can now get real-time scores live on their phone lock screen for every game.

Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.

Find out more here

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New this season: Match of the Day Predictor

Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

Players can join at any time, get involved with the latest round and start building a streak.

Read more about it here

You can find the predictor in the navigation bar at the top of this page, or on this link

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Marco Gabbiadini says Sunderland deserved to win at Brentford after taking the game to their opponents on Saturday.

The former Sunderland striker, speaking to Radio Newcastle, believes the Black Cats' attacking approach could have earned them all three points and suggested the result could prove significant when looking back at the end of the season.

"If you finish the season in a similar position to what we finished last season and you look back over it, you might look back and think this is one that could have taken us another place up the table," said Gabbiadini.

"You can go and draw a game and it can be a bit of a stalemate and you don't take too much risk. I thought Sunderland had a real go on Saturday and really took the game to the opposition and said 'well what are you going to do about it?'

"So that means you're committing men forward, you're covering distances, so midfielders are getting into the box.

"We saw Noah Sadiki come in late into the box on so many occasions, Thomas Meunier getting in the box. You only get what you deserve usually, if you commit like that, you're going to win more games than you lose."

Gabbiadini pointed to Enzo Le Fee's strike hitting the post as an example of Sunderland's threat, while he felt Brian Brobbey could have done more to react to the effort.

He added: "I thought Sunderland deserved to win the game - Enzo Le Fee's strike hit the post. I thought Brian Brobbey was a little bit slow to react, as a centre-forward you know, the ball didn't come to him.

"You've got to reposition for what's happening next. It was clearly going to be a strike on goal, I think he needed to be ducking out of the way of that. Maybe a little un-sighted, and maybe I'm being a bit harsh but little things like that make a huge difference in a game."

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland winger Malick Fofana and left-back Dayann Methalie could make their starting debuts against Hull City in Tuesday's Carabao Cup third-round tie.

Deadline-day signing Fofana came off the bench in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Brentford and played a role in Enzo le Fee's equaliser.

"It's a good opportunity to give minutes in a competitive game, which is very positive," said manager Regis le Bris. "Dayan [Methalie] should start, probably Malick [Fofana] as well, but we'll see.

"It's much better than a friendly game. You're in your stadium against a good team. It's perfect conditions to build those minutes."

Le Bris also confirmed new signing Juan Riquelme Angulo is still awaiting his visa so is unable to join up with the team yet.

"It's just a question of visa issues," Le Bris added. "It's going to be solved, but it's a question of time."

Nick Barnes
BBC Radio Newcastle Sunderland commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Whether Brian Brobbey and Wilson Isidor can partner each other without unbalancing the Sunderland team has been the subject of several questions sent in via our Black Cats Ask me Anything form.

We were granted our first opportunity to see whether the pairing of Brobbey and Isidor will or could work in the home match against Fulham.

It is hard to say definitively, but on the evidence of that short cameo, I'd suggest there is no reason to think it couldn't work.

Isidor, of course, firmly believes it could but a lot depends on the balance of the team and how the likes of Enzo le Fee and Nilson Angulo are deployed.

It may well be something Regis le Bris is happier to try at the Stadium of Light, where there is a greater emphasis on the home team attacking than in away matches.

The jury is out but Le Bris - on the evidence of the Fulham game - is prepared to try.

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

Find out more here

Mark Scott
Final Score reporter at Gtech Community Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

While there were some good performances from the Sunderland players on Saturday, the most impressive display, for me, came from the dugout.

Regis le Bris has carved out a reputation for thinking outside the box and the way a line-up that looked set to be a solid back five moved so fluidly between different shapes was testament to that - and caused Brentford a host of problems in the first half.

The lesser spotted two up top from Le Bris also worked well late in the game and there will be excitement among the fans for what he might have up his sleeve for the visit of champions Arsenal on Saturday (20:00 BST).

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Brentford and Sunderland.

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans

Rob: Keith Andrews needs to stick to a 4-3-3. We were getting overrun in the midfield, just like in the second half of the Leeds match. For some reason, he cannot see this, which is a concern going forward this season.

Ian: As good as we were at Leeds in the first half last week, it was the opposite on Saturday. Three changes at half-time, in addition to a substitution during the first half, gave Brentford more energy. The goal came from good build-up play, with Vitaly Janelt converting from the edge of the penalty area. Inconsistency from the match officials made the game a difficult watch at times. The penalty was given and some of the outfield tackles not. Football is a funny old game!

Graham: It was a very frustrating match as a Bees fan. We weren't ourselves in the first half and looked intimidated by Sunderland. The ref's decisions seemed inconsistent and arbitrary, but in the second half we were the better team and unlucky. The scoreline reflects the game but not our capability.

Bill: One or two games a season we will play badly, the opposition really well, and the ref will be really bad. This was one of those. Did well to draw after being played off the park in the first half. Still optimistic- second-half improvement - with brave substitutions - and we will definitely be better again next week. Come on, you Bees!

Sunderland fans

Stephen: We need to work out why we struggle to score goals. We played some fantastic football and controlled much of the game, especially in the first half - but only managed to score one goal and that came in the second half.

Paul: Two points dropped. We should have been out of sight at half-time.

David: The first half was the team's and Nilson Angulo's best 45 of the season. It has been a frustration for a while now, however, that we rarely turn our dominance into goals. Convert our chances and the sky's the limit for this side. Regis le Bris, once again, spot on with selection and changes. Great to see Wilson Isidor supporting Brian Brobbey for the final 30 and an encouraging cameo from Malick Fofana. Arsenal up next in the league - bring on the champions.

Denise: We were brilliant in the first half but we need to convert that brilliance into goals. We eventually scored in the second half to equalise, but we should have been well in front at that stage of the game.

Former Sunderland defender Gary Bennett says the Black Cats "deserved" the point from their 1-1 draw against Brentford.

Bennett told BBC Radio Newcastle: "It was a good point. It was excellent football from Sunderland, especially in the first 45 minutes.

"We forced Brentford to make changes at half-time and it worked in their favour. They got their noses in front.

"Credit to Sunderland, they kept going. We deserved something out of the game. When Wilson Isidor came on, it proved he and Brian Brobbey can play together. If they can get that partnership working, who knows?

"Sunderland are playing at a good tempo. We defended when we needed to defend - Kevin Danso had an excellent debut next to Dan Ballard."

Hit play above to listen to Bennett and BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentator Nick Barnes reflecting on the game, or listen on BBC Sounds here

Chris McKenna
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland looked like they would rue failing to take advantage of their first-half dominance.

They have recovered from an opening-weekend defeat by Ipswich to beat Fulham and now pick up this draw.

Sunderland had so much of the ball in and around Brentford's area in the opening 45 minutes with 25 touches inside the box.

Yet they failed to create many clear-cut chances apart from when Enzo Le Fee rattled the bar.

They may argue Daniel Ballard's goal should have stood - and what a finish it was from the defender - but Kevin Danso was clearly blocking Caoimhin Kelleher.

Regis le Bris' side seemed stunned by Brentford's changes at the break and it took them a while to really get to grips with the game again in the second half.

Wilson Isidor's introduction in the 64th minute brought more of a threat while deadline day signing Malik Fofana may bring more creativity in the coming weeks after the former Lyon winger made his debut here as a second-half substitute.

Le Fee could have crumbled under the pressure after his mistake last season but he kept his cool with a fine spot-kick and a point was deserved for the visitors.

The Sunderland attacking midfielder now has 12 goal involvements in the league since the start of last season with six goals and six assists, more than any other Black Cats player.

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris, speaking to BBC Sport: "I was really happy and pleased with our first half. It was probably one of our best first halves in the Premier League so far because Brentford are a really good team at home. But you have to be clinical.

"We dominated the ball and had a good bit of possession. It's a bit of a shame to concede the goal when we di. But the lads stayed connected. It was good for the substitutes because when they came on they were good and gave us extra drive."

On Dan Ballard's disallowed goal: "It's always tough. We respect the decision."

On Wilson Isidor's contribution after coming on: "The depth of the squad is getting better, we can feel it. It is positive for the future."

On Kevin Danso's debut: "He brings authority and physicality. In this league, if you don't have this quality, it's hard to manage long balls."

Listen to Le Bris speak to BBC Radio Newcastle here

Did you know?

• Sunderland's 35 touches in Brentford's box is their joint-most in a Premier League game since the start of last season, along with against Chelsea in May.

• Since the start of last season, no side has earned more points from losing positions in the Premier League than Sunderland (23 – level with Aston Villa before their game against Hull).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Brentford's performance

What did you make of Sunderland's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.