Sunderland handed debuts to eight new players on their Premier League return but it was a trio of familiar faces who ensured they made a perfect start to the season.
Promotion heroes Eliezer Mayenda and Dan Ballard each produced thumping second-half headers before Wilson Isidor capped off a wonderful afternoon with a late breakaway third to leave manager Regis Le Bris jumping with joy on Sunderland’s first top-flight game since 2017.
This deserved victory will give hope The Black Cats have a realistic chance of avoiding an immediate return to the Championship but they will face tougher opposition than West Ham who were hopeless with the sole exception of captain Jarrod Bowen.
Promotion heroes Eliezer Mayenda and Dan Ballard each produced thumping second-half headers to send Sunderland supporters into dreamland
INSTANT CONNECTION BETWEEN NEW AND OLD
Play-off winners Sunderland have spent £130million on a dozen players to give themselves a fighting chance of survival and on this evidence it looks money well spent.
Record signing Habib Diarra was the stand-out with a performance of pace and power that will make him a crowd favourite at The Stadium of Light.
He came close to scoring on a couple of occasions and was helped by having the composure of Granit Xhaka next to him.
None of the new players played like strangers and even goalkeeper Robin Roefs had a part to play at the end with a reflex save following a West Ham corner.
Mayenda, who scored at Wembley in May, and Ballard enjoyed their goals – the defender flexing his muscles in celebration – but they will be the first to note they were supplied with quality crosses from their new team-mates Simon Adingra and Omar Alderete. A seamless connection between new and old.
Substitute Isidor scored a solo third to complete the rout. Asked last week, if Sunderland could stay up, he retorted: “Of course!” Now you can see why.
STADIUM OF LIGHT THE 12TH MAN
After Mayenda’s opening goal after an hour, the deafening volume went up another notch and broadcasters could no longer hear instructions
Having been starved of top action for so long, passionate Wearsiders were arriving at the ground from midday, creating a very special atmosphere.
When West Ham walked out, it was an intimidating sight, a sea or red-and-white and an ear-splitting rendition from 45,000 fans of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t help falling in love.”
After Mayenda’s opening goal after an hour, the deafening volume went up another notch and broadcasters could no longer hear instructions from their radio station through their headphones.
In the last two seasons, all three promoted teams have gone straight back down. But if Sunderland can build on the momentum of this result, and they have winnable games against Burnley and Brentford next, nobody is going to fancy travelling to the north-east.
NO PAQUETA BOUNCE
West Ham hoped Brazil international Lucas Paqueta could rediscover his form with spot-fixing allegations now resolved
West Ham hoped Brazil international Lucas Paqueta could rediscover his form with spot-fixing allegations now resolved.
Instead, he played just as poorly as he did last season; slow, casual in possession and falling too easily to try and win free-kicks. Granit Xhaka completely schooled him.
The only thing in the midfielder’s defence is that none of his team-mates were much better with Niclas Fullkrug and Jean-Clair Todibo particularly awful.
The honourable exception was Jarrod Bowen who ran his heart out but after a positive pre-season, Graham Potter’s optimism for the new season has expired in its first 90 minutes.
POTTER TOO SLOW
West Ham trailed 1-0 and had been second-best for a long while before Potter turned to his bench after 71 minutes to bring on striker Callum Wilson – booed ferociously by Sunderland fans for his Newcastle connections – and Tomas Soucek.
They’d barely been on the pitch a couple of minutes before Daniel Ballard netted a killer second.
A more pro-active manager might have made changes earlier seeing that Sunderland were clearly out-running and out-playing the visitors.
Maybe Potter was being shrewd, trying to show the ownership he needs more bodies, particularly in attack. Mohammed Kudus hasn’t been replaced since joining Tottenham.
