Sunderland beat West Brom 1-0 on Saturday and one Black Cats star issued a strong statement after the game that will excite supporters for the Championship run-in.
Sunderland defeated West Brom 1-0 on Saturday as Regis Le Bris’ side continued their winning run following last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Millwall.
Former Sunderland fan favourite Tony Mowbray was in the opposite dugout to see his former side run out the victors despite only having 37% possession against the Baggies.
Full-back Trai Hume’s free kick screamer in the first-half was enough to secure all three points for the Black Cats with the Northern Ireland international continuing his stellar run of form.
Sunderland’s victory keeps them rooted in fourth position in the Championship table with six fixtures of the regular season remaining before the seemingly inevitable play-offs.
With Sunderland in a state of limbo, as the season reaches the business end, defiant statements from two Black Cats stars after the West Brom win will inject real excitement into the Wearside supporter base.
Sunderland have ‘six cup finals left’ in rest of season
Hume was man of the match for the second week running for Sunderland after another headline-grabbing display. His stunning free kick strike and resolute defending were crucial to help the Black Cats earn three more points in their promotion push.
The full-back was defiant in his post-match interview and issued a strong statement of intent for the immediate future of Sunderland’s season.
Hume told SAFC.com: “It’s obviously nice to score, but the most important thing is getting the three points. I said it last week – performances matter and everyone wants to play well, but at this stage of the season, the most important thing is the result, and we’re just glad to get that.”
Fellow defender Leo Hjelde returned to action following his injury setback, making a second-half cameo off the bench to help secure the three points. The Norwegian also revealed that Sunderland are not content to let their Championship campaign fizzle out despite their play-off fate seeming inevitable.
Hjelde added: “I’m happy to contribute as much as I can this season. As Trai said, it’s practically six cup finals left, so I’m just pleased to be back and help the team.”
Sunderland’s top-two hopes are still not over
Matchday 40 of the 2024/25 Championship campaign certainly threw a spanner in the works amidst the battle for Premier League promotion.
Burnley leapfrogged high-flyers Sheffield United and Leeds with their 2-1 win at Coventry, after the Blades and Leeds dropped crucial points, at Oxford United and Luton Town respectively.
As such, the Black Cats now sit just eight points behind current runners-up Sheffield United with six games of the regular Championship campaign to go.
Hume added: “We’ve got another tough game coming up in midweek at Norwich. I’m glad we got the three points today, but the focus turns straight to the next one now. The key thing is to keep winning games and picking up as many points as possible.”
With the pressure on the ever-changing top three, and Sunderland’s play-off fate almost mathematically secure, it is not inconceivable that the Black Cats could hunt down that eight-point gap by continuing their winning run.