The Black Cats will now prepare for a trip to Bristol City, who made an unusual arrival for their match against Hull on Saturday.
There were also a few surprises elsewhere on the opening weekend of the campaign.
Here are some of the main stories.
1. Team performance of the weekend: Cardiff
Pre-season promotion favourites Norwich registered just one effort on target as they were beaten 1-0 by Cardiff in South Wales. Many have predicted that Steve Morrison's Bluebirds will have another difficult campaign, yet debutant Romaine Sawyers scored the only goal of the match to give them a winning start. Photo: Getty Images
2. Individual performance of the weekend: Charlie Cresswell (Millwall)
Another player who enjoyed a fine debut was Millwall centre-back Charlie Cresswell. Not only did the Leeds loanee play a key part in the side's clean sheet during a 2-0 win over Stoke, but he also scored both goals from set-pieces. Photo: Henry Browne
3. Goal of the weekend: Lewis Travis (Blackburn)
New Blackburn captain Travis scored a stunning curling effort which dipped beyond QPR goalkeeper Seny Dieng in a 1-0 win for Rovers. It was a great start for new Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson. Photo: Harriet Lander
4. A day to forget: Ched Evans (Preston)
Evans had only been on the pitch eight minutes when he was sent off for a late tackle on Wigan's Curtis Tilt in a goalless draw. Not a great way to start the new season. Photo: Lewis Storey