The Black Cats fell to a 1-0 defeat against an experienced Stoke side, but there were a number of promising individual displays on the evening as Sunderland pushed for a leveller. Scroll down and click through the pages to see how we rated the performances of the Black Cats – and who will have caught Phil Parkinson’s eye after a standout display:
5. Joy Mukena
The trialist had a rather torrid time at the back. Looked fairly comfortable on the ball but struggled up against Stoke's attack. Improved slightly after the break but was still far too error-prone. 4 Photo: Richard Heathcote
6. Brandon Taylor
It was a tough afternoon for Taylor against a Stoke attack laced with quality. Performed better than Mukena alongside him but hardly a vintage display. 6 Photo: Frank Reid
7. Ruben Sammut
A quiet evening for the Sunderland skipper, who failed to really influence the game. Did very little wrong, though. 6 Photo: FRANK REID
8. Jack Connolly
An early yellow card curtailed his showing, but he did all he could to help drive the Black Cats forward. 5 Photo: Kevin Brady