Sunderland mark Premier League return with emphatic win over West Ham

Sunderland celebrated their long-awaited Premier League return with a commanding 3-0 victory over West Ham at a jubilant Stadium of Light, Sport360NG reports.

Eliezer Mayenda, a key figure in last season’s promotion push, opened the scoring just after the hour mark with a fine header from substitute Omar Alderete’s pinpoint cross, sending the home crowd into raptures.

Defender Dan Ballard, another of Sunderland’s play-off heroes, extended the lead soon after with a glancing header, before Wilson Isidor sealed a dream afternoon in stoppage time with a composed finish into the far corner.

The contest began at a furious pace, with chances at both ends. Sunderland’s Robin Roefs denied Jarrod Bowen from a tight angle, while counterpart Mads Hermansen tipped Habib Diarra’s thunderous strike over the bar. Ballard also came to the rescue with a last-ditch block to keep out El Hadji Malick Diouf’s effort.

After the break, West Ham struggled to sustain their early pressure, and once Mayenda struck, Sunderland took full control. Diarra continued to threaten from midfield, while Alderete, introduced after Jenson Seelt’s injury, made an instant impact with his assist.

For manager Régis Le Bris, the performance underlined both the resilience and attacking flair of a squad strengthened by 11 summer arrivals. Granit Xhaka’s leadership was evident, while Diarra and Noah Sadiki offered plenty of energy alongside him in midfield.

The win was Sunderland’s first in the Premier League’s opening two months since 2012, and their first August victory at this level since beating Manchester City in 2010. With fixtures against Burnley and Brentford next, the Black Cats will fancy their chances of building momentum.

West Ham, meanwhile, showed promise in the early stages but lacked a cutting edge. Bowen was lively, and Diouf went close, but once Sunderland broke through the Hammers never looked like recovering. Roefs’ late save from an accidental Isidor deflection preserved his clean sheet.

The defeat leaves Graham Potter’s side with much to ponder ahead of a daunting clash with Chelsea next weekend, followed by tests against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham.

Up next:

Sunderland visit Burnley before a Carabao Cup tie against Huddersfield Town.

West Ham host Chelsea at London Stadium before their own cup outing against Wolves.