When, on Friday, it became clear Crystal Palace were selling Marc Guéhi to Manchester City and Oliver Glasner announced he would be leaving at the end of the season, Sunderland supporters turned a little nervous. They fretted that Palace might react to not merely the loss of their best defender and the impending departure of a much-admired manager, but the ignominy of last Saturday’s FA Cup calamity at non-league Macclesfield by demonstrating they are not so shabby after all.
Such fears would prove unfounded as Sunderland came from behind to extend Palace’s winless run to 10 games in all competitions thanks to goals from the excellent Enzo Le Fée and Brian Brobbey.
Glasner, seemingly at the end of his tether, made it abundantly plain he felt more than little let down by Palace’s board after a match when it seemed his decision not to introduce a substitute from his youthful bench was pointed, performative and a not-so-subtle SOS to his directors. The big question now is whether those directors decide to retain a manager who says he and his players feel “abandoned”.
Although Palace – who lost Eberechi Eze to Arsenal in August – competed well enough for much of the first half and troubled Sunderland with a series of long balls behind the defence they faded away after the interval and created only a couple of serious chances.
After a series of creditable draws, it was Sunderland’s first Premier League victory since Newcastle were sunk here last month and left a side still unbeaten here this season with 33 points. Palace possess five fewer, but their horizon looks considerably bleaker.
It was rather more promising for them when, early on, Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka, uncharacteristically, ceded possession in central midfield and Yeremy Pino cued up Jean-Philippe Mateta. Palace’s advancing centre-forward seemed certain to score and would surely have done so had Robin Roefs not, once again, highlighted his quality by expertly narrowing the angle before making the save.
If Roefs is very much in form so, too, is Le Fée. Not for the first time, virtually all Sunderland’s best moves originated from the Frenchman and his knack of taking a mean dead ball could have conjured a goal for Trai Hume, but the unmarked wing-back headed the whipped in corner wide.
Pino made no such mistake when, under pressure from Chris Richards, he intercepted a soft punch from Roefs after a Will Hughes corner and, at full stretch, flicked out a boot and lifted the ball over the keeper and into the roof of the net.
The visiting celebrations had barely subsided before Sunderland hit back. The equaliser began with one of their trademark passing triangles and concluded when Nordi Mukiele’s low cross looked to be heading for Brobbey under the striker selflessly stepped aside and left the ball to run to the man standing just behind him. That was Le Fée and his, low, first-time shot proved far too good for Dean Henderson.
Although Mateta directed the ball into the back of the net before half-time his powerful half-volley – unleashed after he skilfully tamed the ball with a knee – was disallowed for a fairly obvious offside.
If that Guéhi-less Palace defence struggled to track the drifting Le Fée, Noah Sadiki, too, can be difficult to second guess and when the DR Congo midfielder, back from the Africa Cup of Nations, swivelled away from his marker, his pass was deflected to Brobbey and Palace were in trouble.
The centre-forward was at an awkward angle still had a lot to do, but Brobbey somehow succeeded in using the outside of his right foot to lash the ball over Henderson and in off the underside of the crossbar.
Henderson did well to deny Hume, but Palace were already sunk. “I’m really pleased,” said Le Bris. “I think we deserved it.”
