Sunderland 1-0 Fulham: Isidor strike seals first Premier League win

Sunderland claimed their first Premier League win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Fulham at the Stadium of Light, as substitute Wilson Isidor delivered the decisive moment in a match that had spent long periods locked in caution.

The contest was short on clear chances during the opening half.

Sunderland had more of the territorial control but struggled to turn possession into meaningful threat, while Fulham were similarly conservative and rarely forced Robin Roefs into serious action.

Noah Sadiki was central to Sunderland’s control.

The midfielder repeatedly disrupted Fulham’s attempts to progress through the middle and helped prevent Álvaro Arbeloa’s side from establishing sustained pressure around the Sunderland penalty area.

The game remained finely balanced after the interval, with neither side initially willing to commit enough numbers forward to open the contest.

Régis Le Bris then changed the dynamic from the bench.

Habib Diarra was introduced to add greater energy and penetration in midfield, while Wilson Isidor replaced Brian Brobbey to give Sunderland a more direct threat around the box.

The two substitutes combined for the winner.

Diarra drove forward and delivered from the right, allowing Isidor to attack the space inside the area and apply the finish in the 75th minute.

It was a decisive intervention after Sunderland had struggled to turn control into chances for much of the afternoon.

Isidor had already missed an earlier opportunity after coming on, but his response was immediate and ultimately match-winning.

Fulham attempted to raise the tempo after falling behind, yet they failed to create the sustained pressure required to force an equaliser.

Sunderland’s defensive structure held firm through the closing stages, with Nordi Mukiele and Reinildo particularly important in protecting the penalty area and limiting Fulham’s late deliveries.

The result gives Le Bris his first league victory of the campaign and ends Sunderland’s 17-year wait for a Premier League win over Fulham.

For Fulham, the defeat deepens an early-season problem.

Arbeloa’s side have now lost both of their opening league matches and again struggled to convert periods of possession into clear attacking chances.

For Sunderland, the more significant takeaway is the way the victory was found.

Le Bris did not need wholesale tactical reconstruction; he needed more aggression and vertical threat from the bench. Diarra provided the first, Isidor the second.

In a game defined by fine margins, that was enough.