Le Bris struck gold in Sunderland’s version of Anthony Gordon

Sunderland got one at Newcastle United at the weekend. Well, they got another over in Newcastle, anyway.

Yes, the Black Cats recorded a Tyne-Wear derby double over their bitter rivals on their return to the Premier League, and victory at St. James’ Park was twice as exciting in more ways than one: Regis Le Bris’ side have now overtaken Eddie Howe’s and taken 11th place in the standings.

Sunderland need six points from seven games to surpass the record 48 points in the modern Premier League, and it is a testament to their quality and understanding of the system that relegation has never sounded on the cards throughout the campaign.

Anthony Gordon can comment however he wants, but the truth is that this is a special group of football players.

Gordon opened the scoring against Tyneside last weekend, but ended up losing. His bitterness at losing after being kicked out of the Champions League by Barcelona.

That was a punishing defeat, but Sunderland stole the spoils from their own backyard. And that could sting even more, especially given the England international’s post-match comments,

“What makes me sad is that in my opinion they are not the best team compared to us. We must not lose to them,” said Gordon after the game.

Gordon’s theory fails to consider one thing: unity. Le Bris has created a balanced and cohesive team, led by Granit Xhaka and anchored by Robin Roefs between the sticks and led by the force of nature in Brian Brobbey.

The Magpies have an expensive squad. They have a team that has won silverware and played multiple campaigns in the Champions League over the past few years.

But that doesn’t mean for one second that they have a better team. Gordon, for example, is valued at around £100m, with the likes of Liverpool interested since his move to St. James’ Park, but Sunderland, while a young club, have a good squad, all right, and they might have their own version of a great striker.

Sunderland already have Gordon

Sunderland have been solidified in the Le Bris system, with the Frenchman promoting them to the Premier League and positioning them as a competitive outfit to push for a ticket to Europe (although that may not happen).

While there was a lot to Sunderland’s summer transfer plans, it was not a disorganized approach, and the recruits brought to the Stadium of Light all played their part.

Chemsdine Talbi wasn’t at the top of that list, but the 20-year-old is coming into his own and making an impact in the Premier League, and reporter Phil Smith noted that he has “really grown in a Sunderland shirt”.

Of course, Talbi arrived from Club Brugge for a whopping £20m, but has scored just four goals so far, assisting two of those.

There is no doubt that Talbi needs to do more, on and off the ball, but he is an electric, forward-footed player who could be Sunderland’s version of Gordon, sharing technical properties with the Three Lions and starting with a bit of similarity at the club.

Gordon joined Newcastle from Everton for £45m in January 2023, but that huge fee failed to pay off early on, scoring just once in his first half of the season in the north-east.

But Gordon’s quality has since lifted him to the top of the Premier League, and there is a feeling the same could happen with Talbi, who is yet to show his full potential as a full-back but is already making waves in Le Bris’s squad.

Whether Sunderland finish the season higher than Newcastle remains to be seen, but with special talents like Talbi coming their way, there’s no doubt the club can close the gap on their flamboyant neighbors – if they haven’t already.

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