Pre-season victory offers clues to Sunderland's starting shape
Sunderland travelled to face a strong Lens side and returned home with a 2-0 victory that provided more than just confidence ahead of the new Premier League campaign. Trai Hume and Wilson Isidor were the scorers as the Black Cats completed a notable win against opponents who finished second in Ligue 1 last season.
The match was among the first opportunities this summer to see a number of new and returning faces linked up in competitive conditions. Granit Xhaka and new recruit Thomas Meunier both started for Sunderland — Meunier getting his first 45 minutes in a club shirt — while Isidor and Hume came off the bench to make decisive contributions.
- Meunier impressed in his first half for the club, showing sharpness and willingness to get forward.
- Hume was deployed in a more advanced right-sided role and continued his encouraging pre-season form.
- Isidor’s goal underlined Sunderland’s growing options in attack.
Meunier’s first-half performance suggested he has arrived to play a significant role rather than sit on the bench. He combined well with Enzo Le Fée, frequently went forward and troubled the Lens defence; a header from him on the stroke of half-time was harshly ruled out. Both Meunier and Xhaka were replaced at the interval, a planned conservation of minutes given their interrupted off-seasons and limited time with the squad so far.
"Meunier did not look like he was playing catch-up fitness-wise,"
The game also offered an answer to a tactical question that has followed Sunderland through pre-season: where will Trai Hume fit? On the evidence of recent friendlies, Le Bris appears willing to use Hume as an advanced right-sided midfielder. He has occupied that position against Wrexham and again at Lens, and produced encouraging attacking work — a development that could influence transfer strategy before the window closes.
Club sources and reporting during the summer have indicated that signing a right-sided winger remains a priority. Sunderland expect to bring in such a player before the end of the transfer window, but Hume’s performances mean the squad already has an internal option capable of fulfilling the role if required.
| Goalscorer | Minute |
|---|---|
| Trai Hume | Second half |
| Wilson Isidor | Second half |
Wilson Isidor’s contribution underlines Sunderland’s summer recruitment work in forward areas, giving the side more options to press and break opponents. The victory also offered encouraging signs about the team’s ability to construct play under pressure — an area Le Bris has emphasised this summer as he builds the club for what he described as “one of the most exciting challenges for Sunderland for 50 years.”
There are still selection and fitness questions to resolve. Several players are returning from extended breaks following World Cup involvement, and the manager has been cautious about exposing those who have not had a full pre-season. Nonetheless, the Lens result will be welcomed by supporters who want to see the club competitive and organised ahead of the opening weekend.
For Sunderland fans in the North East, the test against a team set to compete in the Champions League next season offered a useful benchmark. The Black Cats demonstrated the ability to control parts of the game, press effectively and find solutions in the final third — all promising signs as the squad continues to blend new signings, returning internationals and emerging home-grown players.
How Le Bris chooses to balance his midfield and wing options in the coming weeks — whether he persists with Hume on the right or supplements him with an external signing — will be one of the smaller but important narratives ahead of Sunderland’s Premier League return.
