Phil Smith: I watched Sunderland's defeat to Nottingham Forest and these were my key conclusions

Sunderland were beaten 5-0 by Nottingham Forest on Friday night in their heaviest defeat of the Premier League season to date.

Phil Smith was there for The Echo and these were his key conclusions...

A HUMBLING NIGHT FOR SUNDERLAND AT THE STADIUM OF LIGHT

The slightly odd thing about this game was that around fifteen minutes in, it felt like we could be about to enjoy a mini Premier League classic. It had been an open, frantic start in which both teams had carved out chances. Sunderland had enjoyed the best one, Chris Rigg firing straight at Matz Sels after Enzo Le Fée had teed him up. Nottingham Forest's aggressive press had disrupted the hosts at times but there had been spells where the hosts had threatened to overrun them.

By the end, though, there could be no doubt about the result. The visitors undoubtedly deserve credit for their attacking gameplan and for forcing errors, but Sunderland were simply far too casual. Too many players didn't get close to the intensity required until the second half, when Régis Le Bris's changes helped them stabilise and build up with a little more composure. Sunderland's lack of concentration and urgency can't be summed up any better than three goals all stemming from Igor Jesus being left unmarked at the back post. For this level, it was nowhere near good enough.

In the games against Spurs and Aston Villa, Sunderland had shown their ambition to try and finish the campaign on a high but whether conscious or otherwise, their levels dipped here. What unfolded was a firm reminder that at this stage, this team is not good enough to drop even slightly from their very best. They need to refocus quickly to prevent this season from fizzling out. Aside from Le Fée, their key players were well short of the levels they have hit this season.

SUNDERLAND'S LUCK TURNS IN SOBERING WEEK

For much of the campaign, the debate amongst neutrals around Sunderland has often centred around whether they are enjoying a bit of fortune. They have consistently outperformed their XG numbers, and there have been times in the campaign when they have benefited from some missed chances from the opposition.

The last seven days feel like a painful overcorrection. Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest have certainly been the better team in both games, of that there is absolutely no doubt, but their wins have also been marked by exceptionally clinical finishing. Villa scored their four goals from an XG of 2.84, while Forest bagged their five from an XG of just 1.10. That is a superb display of ruthlessness. None of this is to say that Sunderland have been unfortunate in these games, but to point out that they have experienced just how high the standard of finishing can be at this level perhaps a little further down the line than intended.

That also reflects a slightly broader trend, where teams who struggled at the start of the season are now bringing their quality to bear at the end of the campaign. If there was any doubt about how tough a test this would be, only a cursory glance at the Nottingham Forest XI would have erased it. Sunderland can compete with these teams when at their very best but there is still a gap in quality and most certainly in depth.

SELECTION CALL BACKFIRES

It would be misleading to say that selection was a primary factor in this result, but it perhaps did serve as a reminder as to why Reinildo has so rarely been out of the starting XI when fit this season. His intensity and quality in 1-v-1 duels was missed, even if the decision to recall Trai Hume was just given how well he had played not just at Villa Park last season but across the campaign as a whole. It would be a major shock if Reinildo was not reinstalled to the XI on Saturday at Wolves and if there was one other positive from a chastening night, it was that Wilson Isidor looked motivated and determined to build on his goal at Villa Park in his second-half cameo. He could have a big part to play in the weeks ahead.

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NORDI MUKIELE DECISION SHOWS VAR AT ITS WORST

Dan Ballard's disallowed goal will not make too many headlines and in fairness, in the context of the game nor should it. While it would have given Sunderland the smallest glimmer of hope heading into the final stages, the chances of it impacting the eventual result were minimal. Nevertheless, the five-minute delay and subsequent decision showed everything that is wrong with how VAR is currently being deployed. When you slow the incident down, there is possibly a debate to be had about whether there is a foul. Mukiele clearly catches Sels while he is in the air, and in theory impacts his ability to challenge Ballard for the ball. On the other hand, you could argue that Mukiele is making a perfectly natural movement after his own header and that Sels is already in the air when the defender makes contact. It is hugely debatable whether a 'tripping offence' occurred. What can clearly be said is that it was not a clear and obvious error from the referee, and the fact that the decision to intervene went against the stated goal not to re-referee the game.

Sunderland will forever owe a debt to VAR for that disallowed goal at Wembley but this was the use of technology at its worst.