Sunderland kick off a busy week with a defeat to Preston North End in the Carabao Cup.
The Black Cats enjoyed the perfect start to the Championship season, claiming three points and a clean sheet against Cardiff City.
Regis Le Bris opted to make eleven changes as Sunderland travelled to Deepdale this evening, but the new-look starting line-up failed to impress as they were beaten 2-0 on the road.
It is the third year in a row that the club have been knocked out at the first round, with very few players taking any credit for their display in Lancashire.
Le Bris has been left with very few decision to make when the Wearsiders host Sheffield Wednesday this weekend, but could instead face some dilemmas in the transfer window.
After a poor showing by Sunderland, here are five points that we took away from the cup defeat.
Abdoullah Ba’s chances are up
While he did pick up seven goal contributions last season, Ba was often criticised for his underwhelming performances out wide.
The midfielder failed to impress in his natural position in the midfield when he first joined and it is now very obvious that he isn’t a winger either.
Ba missed a sitter in the first half, while he really struggled to master his final product going forward too. Their full-backs were fairly undisturbed by the 21-year-old.
He had a lot to prove after a disappointing 2023-24 campaign, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he doesn’t make another start until the FA Cup starts.
Patrick Roberts is miles ahead of Ba, while most fans would much prefer to see Ian Poveda ahead of him in the pecking order too.
It would be surprising if the youngster is ever ready to play for Sunderland’s senior team, however if he is going to have any hope then he should definitely be loaned out this month.
Sunderland are crying out for a new right-back
Trai Hume is comfortably one of the first names on the team-sheet for Sunderland, having won the most tackles in the Championship last season.
The Northern Ireland international is an exceptional player and is unsurprisingly a real fan favourite.
Hume hasn’t struggled with too many injuries since moving to Wearside, but if he does then the Black Cats will be in big trouble – and this evening proved that.
Timothee Pembele’s absence suggests that he is on his way out on loan, but Zak Johnson certainly didn’t look capable of replacing him as a back-up option.
The 19-year-old was out of position, but didn’t look too comfortable up against Preston.
Sunderland need to start searching for a new back-up, because no doubt Hume will get a long-term injury if they don’t.
Chris Rigg can’t be left behind
Rigg was left out of the opening day fixture against Cardiff City and wasn’t missed too much, with Alan Browne impressing as they claimed all three points.
However, the win against the Bluebirds may well have distracted from just how good Rigg actually is.
The teenager ran the show for much of his performance against the Lilywhites and looked so comfortable in and out of possession. His display deserved the victory, but his teammates weren’t quite on the same wavelength.
While fans will be happy to see Browne given a chance in the starting line-up, Sunderland can’t allow Rigg to be left behind and not get his regular game-time at the club.
The 17-year-old makes such a positive impact on the senior squad and will only get better as the season moves on if he makes regular starts.
Adil Aouchiche can’t be forgotten
Many of last summer’s signings have rapidly fallen down the pecking order, with Jobe Bellingham the only one to earn a place in the starting line-up.
Aouchiche was one of many of those players to be given a chance tonight and was one of only two who caught the eye.
While things didn’t always work out on the pitch, the midfielder put in so much effort to create chances and pushed Sunderland forward in their bid to rescue the game.
Aouchiche really looks like he wants to impress on Wearside and hasn’t given up yet, despite a difficult first campaign.
While the Frenchman has fierce competition in the middle of the park, Le Bris should continue to keep an eye on him because there is no doubt he has a lot of potential.
Anthony Patterson now has a reliable understudy
Patterson is very highly-rated at Sunderland and has been a constant in their team since making his breakthrough in the promotion-winning campaign.
The goalkeeper has rarely had much competition for his place though, with the likes of Lee Burge and Nathan Bishop failing to impress.
While Simon Moore certainly won’t be challenging for the No. 1 spot, his performance this evening confirmed that he is a much better back-up option and also a good mentor for the Sunderland shot-stopper.
Moore made six saves against the Lilywhites and often kept the Black Cats in the game, despite the fact that he could have arguably done better for their second goal.
The 34-year-old will get very few minutes this season, but fans won’t be quite as concerned if Patterson picks up an injury.
Leo Hjelde is poor, even in his natural position
Hjelde was thrown in at the deep end when he was asked to play at left-back following his January move.
The Norwegian really struggled during the second half of the season and came under heavy criticism, but was expected to be given a fresh chance under Le Bris.
Hjelde had admitted he was hopeful to play in his natural position in the centre, and so tonight’s defeat was the first opportunity to see him in action there.
The 20-year-old made two blocks and a tackle, but generally looked very nervy and uncomfortable in the backline, while his yellow card limited his ability to defend the box.
He will have been hoping to throw his name into the hat to replace the injured Dan Ballard, but all he actually did was maybe force his name behind Nectarios Triantis in the pecking order.