Sunderland made it two wins from two in 2025 with a 1-0 victory over Portsmouth on Sunday, and Regis Le Bris should get a lot of credit for his latest tactical success.
The Black Cats arguably could and should have enjoyed a more comfortable win against Portsmouth, with their opponents reduced to ten men midway through the second half, but Sunderland will be happy to take all three points.
Regis Le Bris’ men had plenty of opportunities throughout the game and dominated from start to finish. Indeed, our Sunderland player ratings from the match were largely positive from front to back, which is testament to how the Frenchman set the team up to control proceedings.
And, after Le Bris’ tactical tweak won the day against Sheffield United, he saw no reason to change things against Portsmouth; a decision which could have backfired spectacularly.
4-4-2 formation was the right call as Mayenda and Isidor shine again
Le Bris chose to go with a 4-4-2 formation against the Blades — a switch up from the usual 4-2-3-1 system that had steered Sunderland right so far this season — but it paid off brilliantly by stifling the impressive Yorkshire outfit.
Many had questioned whether that would be the right call to make against a more compact and defensive-minded Portsmouth side, but one key element of the move worked wonders, with Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda combining for the winning goal after just seven minutes.
Mayenda had been getting some criticism from Sunderland fans of late while he was playing out wide on the left, but since moving forward into a striker role alongside Isidor, the pair have flourished.
| Statistics | Eliezer Mayenda vs Portsmouth | Wilson Isidor vs Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 0 | 1 |
| Assists | 1 | 0 |
| Key passes | 2 | 1 |
| Shots | 4 | 3 |
| Big chances created | 1 | 1 |
| Passing accuracy | 63% | 92% |
It was the young Spaniard’s neat through ball that played Isidor in to score the goal with a sublime finish early on, and Sunderland never really looked back from there.
Eliezer Mayenda has now made himself undroppable for Sunderland
Just a week ago, it seemed obvious that Eliezer Mayenda should be dropped. Now, the young attacker appears to be one of the most influential players in this Sunderland side.
After playing his ‘best game’ against Sheffield United, Mayenda has again made a huge impact for the Black Cats and was key to the win over Portsmouth.
There is still room for improvement for Mayenda, namely in his finishing and decision-making in the final third, but he clearly has immense potential, and his confidence is surely soaring now.
For now, there can be no alternative but to stick with the 4-4-2 and keep Mayenda up front. What Le Bris chooses to do once the likes of Chris Rigg, Romaine Mundle, and Tommy Watson return from injury, however, will be very interesting indeed.