Nordi Mukiele and Brian Brobbey suffer injury scares vs Wolves as Sunderland reach crucial milestone

Sunderland travelled to Wolves looking to respond after a difficult result last time out, with the Premier League table tightening around them.

Régis Le Bris’ side went into the weekend 12th on 46 points from 34 games, just one point behind Everton and still within touching distance of the top half. With Sunderland supporters hoping for an exciting end to the season, the fixture carried added significance despite Wolves sitting bottom on 17 points. On home soil, there remained an expectation of a competitive test.

Historically, Sunderland have had the edge in this fixture, recording 50 wins to Wolves’ 41, alongside 32 draws - a reminder of a contest that has often been closely fought. Here, we take a look at some of the moments you may have missed as the Black Cats took on Wolves at Molineux Stadium:

Sunderland approach major landmark coming into the game

Sunderland headed into the clash with Wolves looking for a response after a difficult outing last time out, when a significant milestone slipped from their grasp. As highlighted by Rob Mason in the build-up, victory against Nottingham Forest would have marked the club’s 2,000th league win since 1879, having started the campaign 13 short of that figure.

Instead, it proved a sobering afternoon, with Sunderland producing their poorest display of the season in a heavy defeat. The trip to Wolves, therefore, presented an immediate opportunity to put that right - and to reassert some control as the campaign entered its closing stages. However, the wait for Sunderland’s 2,000th continues...

Régis Le Bris shuffles pack against Wolves with injury boost on bench

Régis Le Bris reshuffled his Sunderland side as they looked to respond at Wolves following the heavy defeat to Nottingham Forest. Enzo Le Fée moved back into a central role after his recent form, allowing Chemsdine Talbi to return on the left for the first time since scoring in the Tyne-Wear derby win in March.

Habib Diarra dropped to the bench as one of two changes. Reinildo came back into the XI, with Trai Hume shifting across to the right in a hybrid role ahead of Nordi Mukiele. Jocelin Ta Bi returned to the bench after injury, while Bertrand Traore and Nilson Angulo were not included.

Nordi Mukiele injury worry before heading Sunderland ahead

Six minutes in, Nordi Mukiele went down holding his hand and had to leave the pitch for treatment, briefly reducing Sunderland to 10 men in an early concern for Régis Le Bris. The defender was able to continue, and just 11 minutes later, he made a decisive impact at the other end, rising to head Sunderland in front from a well-delivered corner by Granit Xhaka.

It marked a strong response following the Forest defeat, when Mukiele had been involved in a half-time exchange with supporters, while Wolves fans responded to the goal with chants of “you’re nothing special, we lose every week” aimed towards the travelling Sunderland support.

Dan Ballard was sent off after 24 minutes, a major blow to Sunderland, with the defender now likely to miss the remaining three games of the season. Referee Paul Tierney was advised to review the incident by VAR and, after consulting the monitor, judged that Ballard had pulled an opponent’s hair during an off-the-ball coming together.

Sunderland concede from another corner after the break

Sunderland conceded in the 54th minute after the break, with Wolves scoring from a corner - the third set-piece goal the Black Cats had allowed in two games. The goal was checked for a possible foul on Sadiki, but VAR opted not to intervene. Shortly after, Xhaka was booked for venting his frustration at the referee following the equaliser.

There was an injury scare for Brian Brobbey in the 64th minute, with the striker going down clutching his leg. Thankfully, the Dutch forward was able to continue as Wolves began to apply sustained pressure against 10-man Sunderland.

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Le Bris turned to his bench on 72 minutes as he looked to swing the game back in Sunderland’s favour. Diarra, Dennis Cirkin and Wilson Isidor were introduced, with Sadiki, Reinildo and Brobbey making way with the scores locked at 1-1 at Molineux, which is how the game finished after some huffing and puffing from both sides.

Sunderland’s safety is confirmed after draw with Wolves

That draw confirmed Sunderland’s Premier League safety, even if it has felt a formality for some time. It is a major achievement from Régis Le Bris and this group, who have comfortably outperformed expectations. There were plenty tipping Sunderland to go straight back down at the start of the season, some even predicting a record-low points total. That has been put to bed well before the final weeks.

But this still felt like a chance missed. Given the circumstances - leading the game and then playing a significant period with 10 men - there was a lot to like in terms of application and organisation. At the same time, conceding from another corner will frustrate. Safety may now be secured, but there remains a sense that Sunderland could have taken more. The Black Cats now face big games against Manchester United at home, Everton away and Chelsea on Wearside with a place in Europe still just about there to play for.

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