Where are they now? The last Sunderland squad to face Fulham at Craven Cottage ahead of PL clash
Sunderland are preparing to visit Craven Cottage for the first time since January 2023.
Sunderland will look to continue their excellent start to the Premier League season when they travel to Fulham following the international break.
While this is the first league meeting between these sides since April 2018, they did lock horns in the FA Cup in early 2023. Sunderland lost a replay 3-2 at home in February, just a week after drawing 1-1 at Craven Cottage - their last trip to the West London Stadium.
To say there’s been a fair bit of squad turnaround for the Black Cats since that sojourn on the banks of the Thames would be quite the understatement, and you might be wondering where the players in that squad - then managed by Tony Mowbray - are now.
Where are they now? The last Sunderland team to play at Craven Cottage
Goalkeeper: Anthony Patterson
Patterson is still playing for Sunderland and was pivotal in their promotion campaign last season. However, he’s been replaced as number one by Dutch stopper Robin Roefs, who has been superb since joining from NEC Nijmegen. Patterson’s only senior appearance this season came in the EFL Cup against Huddersfield Town, where the Black Cats lost on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light.
Right-back: Trai Hume
Hume remains Sunderland’s first-choice right-back and has now clocked up 143 appearances for the club across all competitions. The Northern Ireland international has adjusted very well to life in the Premier League so far.
Centre-back: Dan Ballard
Like his compatriot Hume, Ballard is still a regular in the Sunderland side, starting six Premier League games so far this season and making nine appearances overall. Ballard has proven himself a menace in the opposition box, scoring two league goals since promotion, having scored that famous late goal in the Championship play-off semi-final against Coventry last season.
Centre-back: Danny Batth
Batth departed Sunderland for Norwich eight months after this match. The veteran centre-back then turned out for Blackburn Rovers last season before joining Derby County in the summer, making six appearances for the Rams so far.
Left-back: Aji Alese
Alese is still at the Stadium of Light, but hasn’t made a senior appearance since mid-January due to injury. The 24-year-old may find games hard to come by when he returns with Reinildo and Arthur Masuaku around at left-back and a plethora of great centre-backs at Regis Le Bris’ disposal.
Central midfield: Dan Neil
Neil was hugely influential in the Championship last season, but has seen just two minutes of action in the Premier League across two substitute appearances, additionally playing 90 minutes in the EFL Cup against Huddersfield. A January departure looks very much on the cards.
Central midfield: Edouard Michut
Michut never truly held down his place in the Sunderland starting XI after joining on loan from PSG. The Frenchman joined Adana Demirspor on loan after leaving the North East, eventually making that transfer permanent, before joining Eredivisie side Fortuna Sittard shortly afterwards.
Right wing: Patrick Roberts
Roberts was a creative hub for the Black Cats in the Championship last season, providing eight assists in 48 appearances. He came off the bench against Burnley at the start of the campaign and played 90 minutes in the EFL Cup, but then joined Birmingham City on loan at the end of the transfer window.
Attacking midfield: Amad Diallo
Amad was absolutely sensational for Sunderland in 2022/23, notching 14 goals and three assists in 39 Championship appearances. Many were sad to see his loan end, but he’s since gone on to establish himself as a key player for Manchester United, and he registered 11 goals and eight assists for the Red Devils last season. He’s struggled more recently, most likely due to Ruben Amorim fielding him out of position as a wing-back.
Left wing: Jack Clarke
Clarke was superb for Sunderland, hitting 11 goals and 13 assists in 2022/23 - including a sixth-minute opener in this match - followed by 15 goals and four assists a year later. That form caught the attention of Ipswich Town, who signed the winger after earning promotion to the Premier League. It didn’t go too well, however, with the Tractor Boys comfortably relegated and Clarke failing to score a Premier League goal. He did provide four assists in the competition, in addition to three goals and two assists in the FA Cup, while he’s netted six times in 15 Championship appearances so far this term.
Striker: Ross Stewart
Stewart left Sunderland at the end of this campaign, joining Southampton. However, injuries have dogged him at St. Mary’s, reducing the striker to just 27 appearances across all competitions, during which he’s hit three goals and an assist.
Substitutes
- Abdoullah Ba: Still at Sunderland after spending the second half of last season on loan at French side Dunkerque.
- Niall Huggins: Joined Wycombe Wanderers on loan this summer.
- Pierre Ekwah: Moved to St-Etienne on loan last year and made the transfer permanent this summer, but has since parted company with the French outfit.
- Jewison Bennette: Never truly got going in a red and white shirt and now plays in Ukraine with LNZ Cherkasy, who are second in the table.
- Chris Rigg: Still with Sunderland and growing in stature as an immensely talented 18-year-old.
- Alex Bass: Has played for Wimbledon, Notts County and, now, Peterborough United since leaving Sunderland in 2023.
- Zak Johnson: Joined Notts County on loan last summer but is now back in the U21s on Wearside.
- Caden Kelly: Played for Darlington last season and is now at South Shields.
- Tom Watson: Scored the goal that fired Sunderland into the Premier League, before leaving to join Brighton. Yet to properly get going for the Seagulls, but did provide a hat-trick of assists in a 6-0 EFL Cup win away at Barnsley in September.