Sunderland expert Michael Graham has named the interesting reason Sunderland deserved all three points against Norwich City on Saturday.
The Black Cats started slowly and found themselves 1-0 down at half-time but whatever Regis Le Bris said during the interval worked.
Dan Ballard scored a header almost immediately after the break and Jobe Bellingham netted the winner with around 20 minutes to go.
There was not much between the two sides in difficult weather conditions at the Stadium of Light, except one key thing that has nothing to do with football.
Michael Graham on reason Sunderland deserved Norwich City win
Sunderland have bounced back from their six-game winless run with three wins and a draw in their last four Championship matches.
The performances in those games have not been great – having to come from behind in all of them – but the players deserve credit for the character they have shown.
Michael Graham praised the Black Cats for this reason after the Norwich City victory. “Brilliant win that. Make no mistake about it,” he wrote on X after the game.
“That wind was a huge leveller and meant it would come down to who had the strongest will and the biggest hearts. That was Sunderland and it’s absolutely wonderful to be able to say that.”
‘Will’ and ‘heart’ are two attributes that every supporter wants to see from their team but it’s not always the case.
Under Regis Le Bris, however, Sunderland fans can never question the team’s mentality regardless of the result.
Sunderland’s character could be the difference in promotion race
Everyone knows that there are many twists and turns over the course of the 46-game Championship campaign.
No team has ever – or will ever – go through the whole season without several poor performances and Sunderland are certainly no different.
Instead, what separates good teams from great teams is picking up points in those tough encounters – and Le Bris’ men are making a habit of that.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 22 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 32 | 11 | 21 | 48 |
| 2 |  LeedsLeeds | 22 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 41 | 15 | 26 | 45 |
| 3 |  BurnleyBurnley | 22 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 28 | 9 | 19 | 44 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 34 | 18 | 16 | 43 |
| 5 |  BlackburnBlackburn | 21 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 25 | 18 | 7 | 37 |
| 6 |  MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 38 | 28 | 10 | 35 |
The Black Cats are five points behind league leaders Sheffield United just short of the halfway stage and you wouldn’t bet against them still being in the promotion hunt in a few months.