Sunderland have endured an incredibly frustrating start to the 2026/27 Premier League season after they lost 2-0 to Bournemouth at the Vitality on Sunday afternoon.
The Black Cats are sat in the relegation zone after seven games and have only won one match in the division, which came against the team directly above them, Fulham.
Sunday’s loss to Bournemouth was a disaster from start to finish. Marcus Tavernier scored after six minutes and Kevin Danso was sent off 11 minutes later, before Omar Alderete’s back pass gifted Evanilson the second goal just after the break.
Five defeats in seven games shows a pattern of underperformance, rather than the loss to the Cherries being a rare off day, and that is what is truly concerning for Regis Le Bris.
Why Sunderland are struggling this season
Brian Brobbey’s absence through injury has been a blow, as he scored a hat-trick in his last Premier League appearance against Manchester City, but scoring goals has been an issue with and without him since the start of last season.
The team’s struggles this term can be explained by their defensive regression. They had the fourth-best defensive record in the league last season, but Daniel Ballard’s injury has disrupted their rhythm defensively.
Offensively, Sunderland were one of the least effective teams in the Premier League in the 2025/26 campaign, despite finishing seventh, as they ranked around relegation level in most attacking metrics.
|
25/26 Premier League |
Sunderland |
League rank |
|---|---|---|
|
Goals per game |
1.1 |
17th |
|
xG |
38.9 |
18th |
|
Big chances |
64 |
17th |
|
Touches in opposition box |
764 |
18th |
|
Possession won in final third per game |
3.1 |
17th |
|
xG difference |
-15.6 |
18th |
Now, the Black Cats are struggling because they are still blunt offensively and now they are conceding more goals, having let in 14 goals in seven matches this term.
Le Bris needs to find a way to get his attack to click and that may mean that he has to be ruthless in the next transfer window with some of the players who are currently underperforming.
Sunderland’s new Lynden Gooch must hand in a transfer request
For example, one of the club’s current attacking options looks like the new Lynden Gooch at the Stadium of Light and must hand in a transfer request to move on from the Stadium of Light in January.
Gooch came up through the academy system on Wearside and showed exciting promise in League One with a return of 15 goals and 12 across the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns.
However, he was unable to make the step-up to a higher level and only scored one goal in 71 matches across the following two seasons, before being sold to Stoke City in the summer of 2023.
Now, Chris Rigg is quickly on his way to becoming the new version of Gooch because he is struggling to kick on after showing such promise earlier in his career at the club.
The 19-year-old talent scored four goals and provided one assist in 44 matches as Sunderland earned promotion to the Premier League in the 2024/25 campaign.
Yet, the left-footed attacking midfielder has only scored one goal and supplied one assist in 26 appearances in all competitions since the start of last season.
|
25/26 Premier League |
Chris Rigg |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
3 |
|
Shots |
0 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Key passes |
0 |
|
Big chances created |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Successful crosses |
0 |
|
Pass accuracy |
71% |
In the Premier League this season, Rigg has yet to produce a shot, key pass, or dribble in three appearances, despite starting the 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday.
The England youth international also started the 2-1 win over Torreense in the Europa League last Thursday night and was unable to deliver a goal or an assist.
Last season, Rigg averaged 0.5 key passes and 0.7 shots per game across 18 appearances and 11 starts in the Premier League for the Black Cats, which shows that he rarely made an impact in the final third.
Like Gooch, the 19-year-old looks like he is not yet ready to deliver at a higher level than he previously impressed at, and he is now at risk of watching his own career stagnate.
Rigg needs to play regular games to develop as a player and he may not get those minutes if he continues to underperform in the Premier League for Sunderland, which is why a move away from the club could be in his best interests.
That is why the academy graduate should be banging down Le Bris’ door to hand in a transfer request, whether that leads to a permanent or a loan move in January.
