Sunderland first-team quartet named in Graeme Murty's U21 starting XI vs Anderlecht in European competition

Eliezer Mayenda, Anthony Patterson, Luke O’Nien and Brian Brobbey start for Sunderland U21s in their Premier League International Cup clash against Anderlecht at the Stadium of Light this evening.

Patterson featured for the first team against Huddersfield Town in the Carabao Cup earlier in the campaign but has yet to start a Premier League game this season, having been an unused substitute in all nine league fixtures so far.

O’Nien also starts for Graeme Murty’s side, his first football of the season after recovering from the shoulder injury he sustained in the Championship play-off final against Sheffield United at Wembley last May. The defender has been an unused substitute several times in the Premier League for Régis Le Bris this season.

Sunderland have also opted to hand summer signing Brian Brobbey valuable minutes after his match-winning assist off the bench against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League last Saturday. With the first-team not back in league action until Monday night’s clash with Everton at the Stadium of Light, the decision has been made to give the trio valuable game time in the Premier League International Cup. Fringe youngster Harrison Jones also starts after making the bench against Chelsea last weekend.

The young Black Cats open their Premier League International Cup campaign tonight against Belgian side Anderlecht at the Stadium of Light this evening. Murty’s side sit third in Group D ahead of kick-off, with Leeds United and Manchester United having already made perfect starts.

Sunderland will also face Sporting CP, Borussia Dortmund and Athletic Club Bilbao in what is a strong section, with upcoming home ties against Sporting on 20 November and Dortmund on 21 January. Tonight’s clash offers valuable minutes for several first-team players, as Sunderland look to make an early statement in European competition before returning to Premier League 2 and Premier League Cup duties next month.

What other Sunderland news is there?

The boost to Sunderland’s revenue streams following promotion to the Premier League has been outlined by the club’s Chief Business Officer, David Bruce.

Bruce, who joined Sunderland from a senior role in Major League Soccer in 2023 before being promoted to his current position, discussed the club’s rapid commercial growth in an interview with US outlet Sport Business Journal. According to the report, Sunderland’s overall revenues are rising well beyond the significant uplift from Premier League broadcast rights, which alone are set to generate more than £100million this season.

Commercial income has reportedly more than quadrupled – climbing from around £4million to £18million – following a raft of new partnerships, including a front-of-shirt deal with W88. With betting sponsors set to be phased out from Premier League shirts next season, Sunderland will need to agree a new partnership should they retain their top-flight status. Bruce has previously suggested that avoiding relegation would open the door to more lucrative deals as the club becomes an established Premier League presence.

The report also details a major increase in premium revenues, which have jumped from approximately £3million to £8million following a £10million summer investment in the Stadium of Light. Retail has enjoyed similar growth, with sales tripling to around £10million. Minutes from a recent supporters’ collective meeting revealed that Sunderland have sold 75% more home shirts than last season, while away kit sales have risen by 127%.

In the interview, Bruce spoke about his decision to return to Wearside as a lifelong Sunderland supporter.“Across the business, people told me not to do the thing you love most,” Bruce said. “My emotional side was just slamming my logical side. I didn’t want to retire someday and regret not having done this.

“I couldn’t leave MLS for anything other than trying to get my club in the Premier League. I’ve got family here and all my childhood friends, but they got more pints with me when I was based in New York, because this job is all-consuming.”

Bruce also explained how he has sought to bring the customer service culture of American sports to Sunderland. “We had too much ‘open the doors at 3 p.m. and everyone will come.’ When I got here, we didn’t have anyone responsible for all of our fan-facing functions. We’ve since tried to instill that our simplest KPI [key performance indicator] is making a fan smile.”

Since arriving in 2023, Bruce has led the development of several key partnerships, including long-term deals with hummel and Fanatics, as well as a new agreement with Delaware North, which has transformed the Stadium of Light’s concourse operations. Sunderland’s accounts for the 2024-25 promotion season are due to be published next year, with the financial report for the current Premier League campaign expected to follow a year later.

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