Every word Wayne Rooney said about Sunderland’s defeat vs Fulham on Match of the Day
Wayne Rooney has highlighted where Sunderland went wrong during their 1-0 defeat to Fulham on Saturday.
Raul Jimenez’s 84th-minute goal was all it took to give the home side a much-needed win and condemn the Black Cats to a 3rd defeat on the road.
The Mexican forward capitalised on a brilliant cross from Samuel Chukwueze to deflate the buoyant mood of the Sunderland fans at Craven Cottage.
Regis Le Bris has done an excellent job for Sunderland, who are already expected to achieve Premier League survival, having amassed 19 points from their first 12 matches.
However, with Sunderland losing 1-0 to Fulham, Rooney didn’t hold back on his praise for the Cottagers.
Wayne Rooney lauds Fulham’s threat from wide areas
Le Bris’ side are sixth in the table, although they could drop further down depending on the remaining results over the weekend.
Speaking on BBC Match of the Day on 22 November, Rooney was incredibly impressed with Fulham’s display,
He said: “I thought they were excellent and they caused Sunderland problems all afternoon.
“Especially from wide runs, Fulham were getting numbers into the box. They ran with power and aggression, and they made sure they had the numbers in the box.
| Stat | Sunderland |
| Wins | 5 |
| Draws | 4 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Points | 19 |
| Premier League position | 6th |
Sunderland’s back-five tactic failed badly against Fulham, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Le Bris were to change that for their next game against Bournemouth on 29 November at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats could have won back-to-back matches in London for the first time in the Premier League since 2001, but they struggled to create chances at Craven Cottage.
With four shots all game, this could easily go down as one of their worst performances of the season, and Le Bris will instantly want a response as the festive schedule starts to get underway.
At the end of the day, supporters will still be thrilled with the start to the season, although the Fulham match brought to light a concerning trend away from home in the Premier League.
Sunderland show worrying signs on the road
The start to the season has been nothing short of extraordinary, and Sunderland are punching well above their weight in the top flight.
However, the defeat to Fulham has once again highlighted the difficulty of obtaining points away from home.
Sunderland’s 2-0 loss to Burnley at the start of the season showcased the struggle to break down teams on the road, and three goals in six away matches is a worrying trend that must be fixed.
With Liverpool and Man City being their next two matches on the road, we could see the Black Cats struggle once more away from home.
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