By SCM Sport Reporter I Monday, August 31, 2026
WILSON ISIDOR emerged as Wearside’s ultimate hero after coming off the bench to shatter Fulham’s heart with a sensational late strike at a roaring Stadium of Light.
The Frenchman turned match-winner in the 75th minute after replacing Brian Brobbey, latching onto a brilliant setup from fellow substitute Habib Diarra to secure a hard-fought 1-0 Premier League victory for Régis Le Bris’ resilient side.
For long spells, Marco Silva’s Londoners controlled the tempo of the afternoon, stroking the ball around with confidence and controlling 57 per cent of total match possession.
Fulham’s midfield general Sander Berge and creative playmaker Alex Iwobi orchestrated long periods of passing dominance, constantly threatening to break the deadlock on Wearside.
Yet for all of Fulham’s intricate buildup play, the Cottagers were completely lacking lethal instincts when it mattered most in the penalty area.
Josh King blew a golden chance in the first half when he skied a glorious delivery from Iwobi well over the crossbar. Summer marquee arrival Gonzalo García was similarly thwarted after the restart, watching in frustration as Nordi Mukiele produced a goal-saving tackle to deny his low drive.
The underlying match numbers tell a dramatic tale of Sunderland’s supreme defensive discipline and ruthless counter-attacking threat. Despite seeing far less of the ball with just 43 per cent possession, Sunderland generated far superior chances throughout the 90 minutes.
The Black Cats generated a dangerous expected goals (xG) figure of 1.11, completely overshadowing Fulham’s paltry expected goals output of 0.36.
Sunderland took 11 total shots during the match and tested Bernd Leno three times with efforts on target. Fulham, by contrast, mustered six total shot attempts across the afternoon but remarkably failed to register a single shot on target.
Belgian goalkeeper Robin Roefs enjoyed a relatively quiet afternoon between the posts for Sunderland, protected by the rock-solid central defensive partnership of Daniel Ballard and Mukiele.
Both sides proved evenly matched in set-piece situations, earning three corners apiece, but it was Le Bris’ masterstroke substitutions that tipped the scales. In the 64th minute, Isidor replaced Brobbey to give the home side fresh energetic legs up front.
Just eleven minutes later, the tactical change paid rich dividends.
Diarra found space down the right flank and squared a precise ball into the heart of the box. Isidor reacted fastest, sweeping a right-footed shot past a helpless Bernd Leno from the centre of the penalty area to ignite dynamic celebrations in the stands.
Fulham threw everything forward in a desperate bid to rescue a point, introducing Emile Smith Rowe off the bench, but Sunderland held firm to claim all three points and leave the Cottagers empty-handed.
