Sunderland vs Fulham

Sunderland ground out a narrow 1-0 win over Fulham at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, 30 August 2026, in a game that stayed goalless and cagey right up until half-time. Fulham had more of the ball, edging possession 58% to 42%, and their four corners to Sunderland's three hinted at spells of control. But it was the home side who did the damage where it mattered, putting four shots on target from twelve attempts while Fulham, for all their neat approach play, couldn't force a single save out of the Sunderland keeper. Granit Xhaka was the difference-maker, pulling the strings from midfield and picking up an 8.5 rating that made him a deserving Man of the Match. His composure gave Sunderland the platform to hold firm once they'd nudged ahead, and they saw out the closing stages without much alarm. Three points move them nicely into the early-season conversation, while Fulham will feel they had enough of the game to take something back to London.

Sunderland 1-0 Fulham was the final score at Stadium of Light, in a game where Sunderland did enough across the ninety minutes to deserve the three points. Sunderland also had the better share of the ball, holding 42% possession, which usually goes hand in hand with the extra control a winning side tends to show. The shot count told a similar story, with 12 attempts from Sunderland against 9 from Fulham over the course of the game. It was not always comfortable for Sunderland, and Fulham pushed for a way back into the game, but the result stood. Games like this can carry real weight later in the season, so this is a scoreline worth remembering. Below is a closer look at how the match broke down, statistically.