Stalemate with Sunderland at the Amex

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Final home game of 2025 ends in a goalless draw.

Bruce Talbot

2025-12-20T17:00+00:00

Diego Coppola threatens from a set-piece on his first Premier League start. 📷Paul Hazlewood.

Albion had to settle for a second successive Amex draw after they were held by Sunderland.

On the balance of play and chances created, Fabian Hurzeler will feel his side deserved to win.

Sunderland keeper Robin Roefs saved an early header from Mats Wieffer but he wasn’t tested enough thereafter despite mounting second-half pressure. Yasin Ayari had Albion’s best opportunities but put two shots over from decent positions while Roefs kept out two more efforts from the midfielder. It was all Albion in the closing stages but Sunderland didn't crack.

Maxim De Cuyper can't believe it as Yankuba Minteh's cross just eludes him. 📷Paul Hazlewood.

With Lewis Dunk suspended and Jan Paul van Hecke ill, Hurzeler had to field a new central defensive partnership of Diego Coppola, who was making his Premier League debut, and Olivier Boscagli. The suspended Diego Gomez and injured Danny Welbeck were also absent.

Albion had an early chance when Maxim De Cuyper’s inswinging corner to the back post was met by Wieffer whose header was saved at point-blank range by Robin Roefs.

But the first half struggled to get going with free-kicks galore and neither side able to find any attacking momentum.

Yasin Ayari tussles with Lutsharel Geertruida. 📷James Boardman

Sunderland, full of confidence after their start to the season and well organised in their low block, threatened when Omar Alderete shot straight at Bart Verbruggen while Brajan Gruda struck a low free kick from 20 yards straight at Roefs, but the teams largely cancelled each othert out.

Albion’s best moment came when Yankuba Minteh ghosted past Trai Hume and funnelled an inviting ball across the six-yard box but no one in an Albion shirt could tap it into the net. It summed up a frustrating first half for Albion, who also had Gruda and Coppola booked for fouls.

Both sides showed far more intensity in the second half and there were chances at both ends in the first five minutes. After Verbruggen had pushed a header from Alderete onto the post, Joel Veltman – who’d replaced Wieffer to make his 150th Premier League appearance – picked out the unmarked Ayari with a cross but the midfielder clipped the ball over the target from 15 yards.

Kaoru Mitoma, James Milner and Babis Kostoulas all came on for the latter stages and Albion began to press. Mitoma had the beating of Nordi Mukiele every time he isolated the Sunderland defender before Kostoulas did well on the right to tee up the unmarked Ayari but once again he failed to keep the ball down eight yards out.

Olivier Boscagli beats Brian Brobbey to a loose ball. 📷Paul Hazlewood.

The Swede did hit the target with eight minutes to go but Roefs shovelled the ball away unconvincingly. Sunderland’s play-off hero Tommy Watson came on for the closing stages and Georgi Rutter and Ayari both tested Roefs in stoppage time but Albion couldn’t find a way through.

Albion: Verbruggen, De Cuyper (Mitoma 63), Kadioglu, Coppola, Boscagli, Minteh (Kostoulas 70), Hinshelwood (Milner 70), Ayari, Wieffer (Veltman 45), Gruda (Watson 86), Rutter ©.