Sunderland trio named in Whoscored Championship Team of the Week alongside Burnley and Sheffield United rivals

Three Sunderland players have been included in the latest Championship Team of the Week following the Black Cats’ 2-1 victory over Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon.

Regis Le Bris’ side came racing out of the blocks against the Bluebirds, scoring inside two minutes courtesy of the in-form Eliezer Mayenda. Cardiff would strike back shortly before half-time, with Isaak Davies on hand to restore parity for the visitors, but the contest would ultimately be decided in Sunderland’s favour when Chris Mepham netted a winner from point blank range with 13 minutes left on the clock.

And after securing all three points for the Black Cats, both Mayenda and Mepham have been named in Whoscored’s weekly XI of the Championship’s top performers. The former boasts an impressive match rating of 8.2, while his defensive teammate scored 7.8.

Joining Mayenda and Mepham in the team is Luke O’Nien, who put in a customarily gutsy display at the heart of defence. The 30-year-old registered a rating of 7.9, and was also honoured prior to kick-off at the Stadium of Light after racking up his 300th appearance in red and white during the recent away victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

Also in the side are Portsmouth goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid, who kept a clean sheet against league leaders Leeds United in an unexpected 1-0 win, Pompey teammate Zak Swanson, and Sheffield United full-back Harrison Burrows, who laid on an assist for Tyrese Campbell’s winning goal against Preston North End. Further forward, the midfield is comprised of Bristol City star Scott Twine, Coventry City talent Victor Torp, Burnley stalwart Josh Brownhill, and Swansea City wide man Eom Ji-Sung. Up front, Mayenda is partnered by Portsmouth hitman Colby Bishop.

What did Chris Mepham say about his winning goal for Sunderland vs Cardiff City?

Mepham’s winning strike against Cardiff was his first since 2020, and speaking after the match, he said: “It was a special moment. Especially [because] my mum and dad were here for the game. They do try and come as much as possible, but obviously it's a long way, long way from home. So they were there in the crowd today. And ironically, my mum actually said, ‘Try and score a goal for me today. ’ So, yeah, no, delighted with the goal. But most importantly, you know, getting the three points today, it was important. I thought, especially in the first half, I felt like we deserved it, conceded a soft goal. But like I said, in the end, it was good for me to contribute to a victory.”

“I think it was just instinct,” Mepham added when asked about the finish for his winning goal. “On a Friday, we do a lot of set-piece stuff, and we work through routines that could potentially come out on a Saturday, and that wasn't one of them that came out.

“I've just watched it back there, and I think Wilson is always alive looking for opportunities, and I spoke to him after, and he said he actually did try and shoot, so he wasn't completely unselfish. Luckily, I was in the right place at the right time.”

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