Phil Smith: Three things I thought watching Sunderland defeat and five moments you might have missed

Sunderland fell to their first defeat to the Championship campaign at Plymouth Argyle on Saturday afternoon.

Here's Phil's key talking points from the game, and some of the moments you may have missed...

A DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCE - BUT NO NEED FOR PANIC

Sunderland came into the game top of the league, boasting a perfect record and with their opposition yet to win. Their form had drawn column inches across the national media and Regis Le Bris was named manager of the month on the eve of the contest. Anyone who has followed this club for any length of time would have feared this result was coming. The key for Sunderland this week is learning their lessons from what was a disappointing performance while also retaining the belief from the four superb performances that preceded it.Sunderland were well short of their best here, without a doubt. And yet credit must go to Plymouth Argyle for showing energy, intensity and some genuine quality in key areas of the pitch. Ibrahim Cissoko, on loan from Toulouse, was a constant threat off the left flank and gave Trai Hume as tough a game as he has had at this level.Even in the first half when the Black Cats were largely in control, Le Bris admitted he felt the shape wasn't quite right and they were punished ruthlessly in the second half. They didn't retain the ball well enough, made mistakes in possession and lost too many second balls.

They were by no measurement comprehensively outplayed, though. Per stats website fotmob, Sunderland had 17 shots to Plymouth's 12, and an expected-goals tally of 1.77 to Plymouth's 1.70. It was an open game that could have gone either way, and Sunderland showed real spirit to claw their way back into it after falling behind for the first time this season in the second half. They might even have won it, with Wilson Isidor missing one good chance from a Romaine Mundle cross and finding himself just unable to get on the end of one from Patrick Roberts moments later.The biggest concern for Sunderland and Le Bris is undoubtedly how open and vulnerable to the counter attack they were, with Plymouth's XG almost as big as the four teams the Black Cats had previously played combined. Le Bris' side have to improve quickly but this was still a long way ahead of what they were producing towards the end of last season and the players deserve the space to put it right.

ROMAINE MUNDLE IS A REAL FIND

Even amidst the disappointment of Sunderland's first league defeat you don't have to look too far for some genuine positives. Patrick Roberts continued his encouraging form on the right flank, taking his penalty well and creating a number of chances. On the other flank, Romaine Mundle produced what was arguably his best performance since joining the club in January and that was even before his late goal that should have secured a point. Mundle doesn't always make the right decision but you wouldn't expect that at this stage of his career. His finishing is generally good, he carries the ball long distances, puts dangerous crosses in the box and is tenacious from minute one to ninety. He's been an excellent addition and has eased some of the fears about how the club would fare without Jack Clarke. Credit to him for his application in pre-season and to the club for capitalising on the chance to sign him in January. Experience over the last three or seasons tells us to expect a dip and some fatigue at some stage over the season as he's still relatively inexperienced in senior football, but he's emerging as a real asset for the club and is as fun to watch as his predecessor.

LE BRIS' BENCH ISN'T WHERE SUNDERLAND WANT IT YET

There was a little bit of frustration for some Sunderland fans that Le Bris didn't turn to his bench earlier in the second half, with Plymouth Argyle dominating pretty much from the whistle. Alan Browne did have a real impact when he came and helped wrestle back some control, while Wilson Isidor added some presence and energy late on. It is clear from the opening games of the season that Le Bris is not going to be a head coach who makes wholesale changes early in the game, and this very methodical approach is likely something fans will have to get used to. It's also true that at the moment, he doesn't really have too many game-changing options. With Salis Abdul Samed not yet fit and Ian Poveda missing out due to a thigh niggle, the bench still didn't quite have the depth you'd ideally like.

And the moments you might have missed...

DAN BALLARD'S BIG INJURY SCARE

While too early to know for sure, there are fears that Sunderland might have another injury issue to contend with. Ballard fell heavily after winning a header in stoppage time and wasn't able to get back on his feet after the full time whistle was blown. He needed the help of two physios to limp off the pitch and left the ground on crutches. We'll have to wait for a full prognosis but Chris Mepham's debut might be on the horizon.

MISTAKES COST SUNDERLAND DEAR

Plymouth played well but Sunderland made uncharacteristic errors for the goals that saw them fall behind in a flash. For the first, they invited more pressure when Anthony Patterson's poor kick out went straight to a Plymouth player, sparking the move down the left flank from which they equalised. For the second, they were caught with too many players ahead of the ball when trying to pinch possession on the edge of the Plymouth box, allowing the hosts to break quickly. Even then, they should have cleared their lines before Ballard fouled and gave away the penalty. For the third, Patterson could have done better both with the initial effort and the follow up that went in.There are clearly a few structural issues for Le Bris to look at this week but he'll hope that these individual errors were merely a one-off.

DUO STILL ABSENT

Though Le Bris insisted that the closing of the transfer window represented a clean slate for the whole squad, there was still no Adil Aouchiche or Abdoullah Ba in the squad. The two look to be some way off being involved and have a battle to ensure they don't face a winter without regular football.

YOUNGSTER GETS WELL DESERVED CALL UP

The absence of Aouchiche and Ba did mean a very well deserved call up for young striker Trey Ogunsuyi, who had played a big part in rescuing a point for Sunderland U21s against Athletic Club de Bilbao in midweek. The 17-year-old Belgian youth international may be a little behind Tommy Watson in realistically pushing for senior minutes but he's a huge prospect for the future and one to watch closely.

MANAGER OF THE MONTH CURSE STRIKES AGAIN

After the game, Le Bris was informed that he'd become the latest victim of the infamous manager of the month curse. "Ah, so it was written?" he replied with a wry smile.

Le Bris has not been demonstrably enthused by Sunderland's four wins and so there was never any danger of him overreacting to this first defeat, which he sees as an important part of the journey of his young team and an opportunity to learn.