With no wins from their opening nine league games, Sunderland are bottom with just two points. Where can they expect their first win to come from?
Just over two weeks’ ago, the games against Stoke City and West Ham United were viewed as crucial for Sunderland. The Black Cats were bottom of the table, they were facing one side that had failed to register a victory and another that was facing some real difficulty after the highs of last season, with some contemplating a dramatic fall to the Championship.
David Moyes’ side produced a grand total of zero points from those two clashes. They remain bottom of the Premier League and still have only two points to show for their efforts so far this season.
A lack of alternative goal threat, poor defending, a lack of communication and bad luck with injuries have all been listed as potential contributing factors to what has been a dire start to the season.
But here Sunderland were facing sides that were also struggling. Surely they had to get something in at least one of these two games? The fact they got nothing, and didn’t even score a goal, is worrying and alarming for all at the club as well as utterly deflating.
One could argue that they faced both Stoke and West Ham at just the wrong time. Stoke got a morale boosting point at Old Trafford, while West Ham managed to relieve the pressure with a win at Crystal Palace.
This season, there will be no Newcastle United to ride to their rescue and somehow hand Sunderland a morale boosting derby day triumph that offers the opportunity to get their season going. The odds are now stacked against them getting a win until at least November, and there are no guarantees there.
Sunderland’s next league game is against Arsenal – a side that is among the pace setters at the top. The weekend showed they have their flaws with a surprise 0-0 draw at home to Middlesbrough, although some will argue that it is unlikely to happen twice in a week.
Then there is the trip to Bournemouth – a side that in its past two home games has put six past one opponent and gone toe-to-toe with one of the sides tipped for the title and emerged with a 0-0 draw. Sunderland are in for a really difficult game there. Failure to beat either Arsenal or Bournemouth would mean they would be without a win going into the November international break.
Following that break, however, is a home clash with Hull City. Despite the Tigers’ strong showing at the start of the season where they picked up seven points from their opening four games, they have since lost five on the bounce. They have conceded 19 goals in the process, contributing to them becoming the division’s leakiest defence.
The alarm bells are ringing loudly at the Stadium of Light, but if Sunderland have not recorded a win by the end of their clash with Hull, they will be deafening.
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