On Wednesday evening, Sunderland won against Brentford to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.
And they needed that, having gone five straight Premier League games without a win. That 3-2 win illustrated the fight and tenacity of Regis Le Bris‘ side, with many fringe players making their presence known.
Le Bris has much to think about. Playing in the Europa League this term has stretched the Wearsiders, who are rock-bottom of the league table right now. It’s not quite clicking, but the likes of Jocelin Ta Bi and Malick Fofana showed against Brentford that they can play larger roles in the Premier League over the coming months.
How Ta Bi and Fofana took their chances vs Brentford
Sunderland have hardly been firing on all cylinders this season, but against Brentford in midweek, just a few Black Cats showed that the future is bright.
To be honest, supporters were blown away by the likes of Ta Bi, who may well have produced the performance of the season at the Stadium of Light, creating two assists from the right wing, but also won eight duels and made five ball recoveries.
Some display, and fans are now clamouring for the 21-year-old to play a bigger role. He joined from Maccabi Netanya in January 2026, but played once in the Premier League last season. This year, he has only earned 17 top-flight minutes so far.
Fofana also staked his claim for a bigger role. The Belgian winger joined from Lyon for a fee rising to £30m in August, with Sunderland beating Crystal Palace and Arsenal to his signature. He scored against the Bees, showcasing his speed and directness in a display which said to Le Bris that he needs to start featuring more prominently in the Premier League.
Chemsdine Talbi also scored on his second start of the season. He also scored on his first, the winner against Hull City in the previous round of the Carabao Cup. Ostracised by Le Bris, Talbi has only played twice in the Premier League this year, and both times off the bench.
Talbi will want to play a bigger role, but there’s another up-and-coming talent with an even greater claim to become a mainstay in Sunderland’s first team. Perhaps he could be the difference-maker in the fight to climb out of the relegation zone.
Sunderland have hit gold on their biggest young talent
Sunderland are into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, and now have a real chance of advancing to the latter stages of the competition.
Against Brentford, it was a collective effort, but Le Bris will be especially pleased with the contribution of Jules Ahoka, who looks like more of a future superstar with each passing matchweek for the Black Cats.
Signed from Royal Antwerp in Belgium for around £9m this summer, the 20-year-old has had to bide his time over his first couple of months in England, but he dazzled against Hull City in the previous round of the Carabao Cup, also scoring as Sunderland beat SK Beveren in the Europa League.
Against Brentford, he only reinforced the growing belief that Le Bris has signed something special, someone who could outstrip the rest of the outfit’s exciting youthful cohort and become the focal point of a shifting Sunderland midfield.
|
Jules Ahoka for Sunderland |
|
|---|---|
|
Match Stats |
# |
|
Minutes played |
90′ |
|
Goals + Assists |
0 + 0 |
|
Touches |
38 |
|
Accurate passes |
14/23 (61%) |
|
Chances created |
1 |
|
Possession lost |
12x |
|
Carries |
10 |
|
Ball recoveries |
4 |
|
Def. contributions |
4 |
|
Ground duels won |
4/5 |
Statistics often fail to tell the whole story. Ahoka was a “machine” in the middle of the park, according to journalist James Copley, more than a match against Brentford’s physical midfield. He might have been slightly sloppy with his passing, but the robust young prospect has the potential to become one of the Premier League’s toughest midfielders.
It’s important not to jump the gun, of course, but then it’s also hard not to get excited by the DR Congo talent. Granit Xhaka is not getting any younger, and Ahoka could deepen an exciting partnership with compatriot Noah Sadiki over the next few years.
While Fofana and Ta Bi have attacking quality and could play important roles over the course of the campaign, there’s a real sense that Ahoka might be the best of the bunch, someone who can cement themselves as a mainstay at the heart of Le Bris’ system and playing prove the difference in climbing the Premier League ladder.
