August’s review
September’s review
October’s review
November’s review
December’s review

Overall Position: 11th
Played: 5
Won: 1
Drawn: 2
Lost: 2
Points: 5

With “tricky” December successfully navigated, Sunderland started January still inside the top seven but with arguably the best team in the country visiting the Stadium of Light.

Man City came into the game in fantastic form, having won all seven of their games in December in all competitions and scoring a staggering 20 goals in the process.

Regis Le Bris fielded a very attacking line-up with Simon Adingra and Eliezer Mayenda on the flanks and Sunderland had the better of the first half with City unable to find their usual passing rhythm. There were a couple of close calls however, Bernardo Silva having an effort ruled out for offside and Erling Haaland uncharacteristically firing straight at Robin Roefs from inside the area.

Sunderland had the better chances, Brian Brobbey unable to beat the massive frame of Gianluigi Donnarumma after he showed off his supreme strength yet again. Trai Hume also came close before half time in what must surely have been one of City’s worst 45 mins of the season so far… Sunderland a little unlucky not to be ahead.

City showed their squad depth by bringing on Rodri at half time and he put in a masterful display, strolling around spraying passes here, there and everywhere. Sunderland stood firm, though, with the likes of Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete proving more than a match for Haaland and co.

Jeremy Doku’s introduction brought added impetus to City’s attack but ultimately couldn’t find a way through. The points were shared in what could prove to be Sunderland’s hardest fought point of the season.

With little time to recover, the lads travelled to Spurs just three days later and surprisingly named an unchanged line-up, considering the energy expended on New Year’s Day.

The first half performance suggested a change or two might’ve been welcome as a tired and laboured looking Sunderland went a goal down with some slack defending, allowing Ben Davies to notch his first goal in over two years.

Sunderland came out in the second half looking far more energised and frankly like a different team. Enzo Le Fee hit the post with a header, shortly before a fantastic team move involving Alderete, Granit Xhaka, Mukiele and ELF was finished superbly by Brobbey, continuing his run of impressive form. It must be a goal of the season contender. The lads held on for another well-earned point, and we were one game closer to welcoming the AFCON boys home.

Another three-day turnaround as Sunderland stayed in the south and headed to Brentford. The home fixture had been a memorable one as Wilson Isidor netted a late winner in the same week as his birthday and arrival of his baby daughter… but there was to be no happy ending this time.

Dan Ballard and Chris Rigg came in in an effort to freshen things up, but it still proved to be a game too far as Sunderland were very much not at it for the whole contest. The impressive Igor Thiago opened the scoring after half an hour, but all wasn’t lost as Brobbey worked hard to win a penalty early in the second half and up stepped Enzo Le Fee. He’d scored a penalty in that aforementioned return fixture and seemed confident in placing the ball on the spot. However, his attempted Panenka with the game at just 0-1 was an extremely poor decision and Caoimhin Kelleher simply stood still and caught the ball, giving ELF a thumbs up as he held his head in his hands.

Sunderland were still only one goal down but the penalty miss seemed to put pay to any hopes of a comeback as Thiago scored again and Brentford notched a third before the end to round off a miserable afternoon. Sunderland have not had many this season, but this was a bad performance.

Buoyed by an FA Cup win away at Everton, which included a sweetly-struck goal from Le Fee to atone for his misdemeanours the previous week, the lads were set to welcome the wounded Eagles to the Stadium of Light. No, not a tribute band of ‘Nam veterans playing Hotel California, but Crystal Palace, still smarting from what was being described as the greatest FA Cup shock of all time the previous week when they, the holders, lost to non-league Macclesfield.

It wasn’t looking great when Yeremy Pino lifted a finish over Roefs after Sunderland had failed to clear a corner, but the Palace lead lasted only three minutes as Le Fee continued his redemption arc sweeping home a Mukiele cross into the bottom corner. With just half an hour to go, Big Brian Brobbey continued staking his claim as MVP by shrugging off his marker (of course) and volleying in off the bar in unorthodox fashion. Sunderland held on for the three points and were back to winning ways after a run of six league games without a win.

The final fixture of the month came at the London Stadium to face third-bottom side West Ham, together with their appalling home record. Sunderland were rocked by the pre-match news that talisman Granit Xhaka would be missing and it was bit like having the old Sunderland back as we quickly capitulated for what must rival Brentford as our worst performance of the season.

Jarrod Bowen was at the heart of anything good from the Hammers and it was he who provided the assist for Summerville who ran away, turned away, and headed past Robin Roefs. Bowen then went from provider to goalscorer with a pin-point penalty after Hume had tripped Ollie Scarles.

Two became three when Mateus Fernandes’ effort from distance whistled into the top corner. A disastrous 45 minutes from the lads persuaded Le Bris to hook Hume, Reinildo and Mundle as Diarra, Cirkin and Talbi all came in. It made a difference as Sunderland undoubtedly improved in the second half and culminated in another excellent team goal featuring Diarra and Mukiele and finished off by Brobbey for his third goal of the month and fifth of the season.

Several “banter” moments ensued including Luke O’Nien hitting the bar from a mishit cross, Xhaka arguing with a West Ham fan in the crowd holding a baby, and Omar Alderete squaring up to Fernandes whilst a West Ham shot came cannoning back off the bar. The game finished with a 3-1 defeat for the lads as we saw out the first month of 2026.

Statistically, this was the worst month of the season for Sunderland, featuring as it did two of our six defeats so far. Still however, there were crucial draws in there against Spurs and Man City, the latter, I’d argue, one of the best performances of the season.

The home win against Crystal Palace was also a solid display so in the grand scheme of things, not too bad at all and the sort of month we expected to see a lot more of at the start of the season.

Heading into February with two defeats out of the last three league games is not ideal form, but we all hope that Sunderland can continue their habit of bouncing back from every defeat with a win and the home game against Burnley provides the perfect opportunity to do so.