Sunderland pulled off a hugely important victory against Sheffield United on New Year’s Day, and Chris Mepham has admitted they did it despite not playing well.
Many had expected this top-of-the-table clash to come down to whichever team could be the best on the night, but it didn’t exactly play out according to plan.
Sunderland came into the game on the back of a disappointing defeat to Stoke City, and were trailing Sheffield United by five points.
Regis Le Bris’ side were seemingly out of the title race, but dragged themselves back into it with the impressive win at the Stadium of Light to preserve their unbeaten home record.
- READ MORE: Sunderland fans criticise ‘awful’ player despite 2-1 win over Sheffield United, ‘he’s too old’
Chris Mepham admits Sunderland weren’t at their best against Sheffield United
Speaking to Sky Sports after the 2-1 win against the Blades, Chris Mepham was full of praise for the way his team managed to grab three points against their promotion rivals, while admitting the team did not play particularly well.
“It’s a massive shift, especially the way the last couple of weeks have gone for us. We’ve had two tough results. It was a massive test for us tonight. A lot of character was needed.
“We had to dig deep at times, which we knew we would. In the end, we’ve had games where we’ve played well and not got the results. It’s nice to not play so well and still get the three points.”
| Statistic | Sunderland | Sheffield United |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 34% | 66% |
| Total shots | 14 | 16 |
| Pass success | 76.6% | 84.7% |
| Tackle success | 69.2% | 78.6% |
Indeed, Sheffield United had far more possession and created more chances, as well as dominating in the middle of the park, too, but Sunderland found a way to win, largely thanks to the incredible display from Eliezer Mayenda.
Grinding out results like that is the stuff of champions
At the end of the day, winning ugly like that is exactly what is needed to be successful in football. It’s not always glitzy performances and easy wins, and Sunderland have once again shown their growing resilience.
The win puts them right back in the chase for the title now, and it’s very hard to deny the fact that Sunderland are on track for promotion, be it automatic or via the play-offs.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LeedsLeeds | 25 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 45 | 16 | 29 | 52 |
| 2 |  BurnleyBurnley | 25 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 30 | 9 | 21 | 49 |
| 3 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 25 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 34 | 16 | 18 | 49 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 25 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 38 | 22 | 16 | 47 |
| 5 |  MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough | 25 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 42 | 31 | 11 | 40 |
| 6 |  West BromWest Brom | 25 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 31 | 20 | 11 | 39 |
Key:
Position 1 – 2 : PromotionPosition 3 – 6 : Promotion Playoffs
Position 22 – 24 : Relegation
The Championship table makes delightful reading for Sunderland fans right now, and what a way to start 2025 by defeating one of the very best teams in the league.
Now, Sunderland just have to make sure they don’t let that win go to waste when they take on Portsmouth at the weekend.