Report: Sunderland 0 Albion 2

DeCuyper and Hadjam on target in second half as Fabian Hurzeler's side return to action with impressive win despite losing Pascal Struijk to a red card.

Bruce Talbot

2026-10-10T17:00+01:00

Jaouen Hadjam beats Robin Roefs to make it 2-0 in stoppage time. 📷James Boardman

Albion continued where they left off before the international break with an impressive win at the Stadium of Light.

Second-half goals from Maxim De Cuyper and substitute Jaouen Hadjam did the trick and Albion produced a defensive masterclass after Pascal Struijk was shown a harsh red card in the 62nd minute.

De Cuyper had opened the scoring five minutes earlier and Hadjam, who had only just come off the bench to make his Premier League debut, sealed the win in stoppage time with a fine finish.

There was the usual Pascal Gross assist and while it was always going to be tough for Fabian Hurzeler’s unchanged side to reach the heights they had shown against Arsenal three weeks ago, there are many different ways to win a game. Albion demonstrated that with a performance of organisation, hard work and, when it mattered, clinical finishing.

Sliding in: Maxim De Cuyper celebrates after putting Albion in front. 📷James Boardman

Diego Gomez had an early chance for Albion after Kevin Danso gave the ball away and Gomez forced keeper Robin Roefs into a good save. With a swirling wind behind him De Cuyper’s corner was creeping in at the far post until Roefs touched it over. Yasin Ayari wasn’t far away with a shot from inside the D moments later as Albion started brightly.

After a three-week break it was understandable that both sides struggled for cohesion in the first half but both struck the woodwork before the break.

Granit Xhaka sent Enzo Le Fee away down the left and Wilson Isidore attacked the cross and his effort clipped the outside of the post.

Then in first-half stoppage time came Albion’s best moment of the half. Albion’s assist king Gross picked out namesake Struijk with a free kick from wide on the left and the defender’s looping header went past Roefs but struck the far post.

Albion went in front on 52 minutes and to no one’s surprise Gross played his part. When Gomez flicked the ball into space the German spotted De Cuyper’s overlapping run down the left and played the perfect pass to the Belgian, who didn’t have to break his stride, before he swept his shot powerfully inside the near post.

But Sunderland were given a lifeline five minutes later when referee Thomas Bramall was directed to the monitor by the VAR and sent off Struijk for denying Isidore a goalscoring opportunity when he fouled him a few yards outside the box.

Hurzeler brought on Lewis Dunk to shore things up and although the home side began to push, Verbruggen was only really tested by Xhaka’s free-kick on the hour, which he pushed away.

Pascal Struijk and Luka Vuskovic attack a set-piece. 📷James Boardman

Albion were prepared to sit deep, absorb pressure and try and counter-attack, but it never looked like they were in any danger of losing their lead.

And as Sunderland ran out of ideas so Albion struck again deep into time added on when two of their substitutes combined to devastating effect.

Georginio Rutter brought the ball under control deep in Sunderland’s half and fed Hadjam, who was surging down the left.

Diego Gomez forced an early save with this effort. 📷James Boardman

The defender still had much to do but he did it brilliantly, bolting into the box before drilling a right-foot shot past Roefs and inside the far post.

More than 2,200 Albion fans who had made the 700-mile round trip lapped it up behind the goal as their side cemented their position in the top three.

Albion: Verbruggen, Kadioglu, Struijk, Vuskovic, Boscagli (Yalcouye 68), Gross, Ayari (Rutter 88), Andres, Gomez (Hadjam 88), De Cuyper (Costinha 68), Kostoulas (Dunk 60).