00:00Hello, this is Stadium of Light. We've just watched Sunderland beat West Ham 3-0 on their long-awaited return to the Premier League.
00:07I mean, it doesn't get much better than that, does it, James?
00:09It doesn't really feel real, does it? I mean, this whole sequence of the two Coventry games, the win at Wembley against Sheffield United, the late drama.
00:16It's just absolutely incredible what's happened to this football club.
00:19I picked Sunderland to win 1-0 today. We've ended up winning 3-0.
00:22So, there's a bit of an irony that we've spent Ā£150 million, but the three goal scorers were here last season.
00:29Wilson Isidore, Dan Ballard and Eli Mayenda. I mean, just a perfect dream start.
00:34I thought Sunderland did really, really well during the game.
00:37I thought it was a 20-minute spell in the first half where West Ham sort of really came into it.
00:42They did have a few chances. Robin Roof's made a really good save.
00:45Renildo nicked one off. Jared Bowen's tall, wasn't it?
00:49Yeah. So, West Ham did have chances, but Sunderland were clinical and they took theirs.
00:53I was really impressed by that performance today.
00:56Yeah, I'd have to echo all of that, to be fair.
00:58Again, I thought Sunderland came out looking a lot more assured than I expected them to.
01:03I think you're right. I think West Ham did maybe grow into it, show their experience a little bit more.
01:07But as we saw so many times in the Championship last season, Sunderland sort of went in at half-time,
01:11came back out in the second half and just looked a little bit more steady.
01:14And I think it's really encouraging that we're already seeing signs of that in the Premier League as well.
01:19Can I just say, that midfield three, I really, really like it.
01:21Because in a sense, Habib Diarra, when he gets the ball, and it may not work for him at times this season,
01:25but when he gets the ball, his first thought is, how can I get this forward?
01:29And he might lose at times, but then you've got Noah Siddiqui and Granit Xhaka.
01:33Noah Siddiqui's energy is fantastic.
01:35So what Granit Xhaka doesn't bring, which is a lot of running, Noah Siddiqui brings.
01:38And what Habib Diarra doesn't bring, which is defensive now, Granit Xhaka and Noah Siddiqui bring.
01:43So I think that's a really interesting sort of midfield three for me coming into the Premier League season.
01:50I mean, there's a lot we can talk about.
01:52I thought Robin Roofs was absolutely superb and goal.
01:54I mean, very, very issuing.
01:56Dan Ballard, I mean, God.
01:58He is like, he's not far off getting a statue, him.
02:02He's just, he just gets better and better, doesn't he?
02:04He does.
02:05Look, he made a step up.
02:06Obviously, it's one game, it's a long season, but he's certainly carried in.
02:10The form that we saw in the playoffs, you know, the big moments, the goal line clearance
02:13early on, obviously popping up with a header for the second.
02:16He very much brought that form into today.
02:18And again, it's very encouraging that we're seeing those early signs.
02:21And the fans as well today.
02:22I mean, the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light.
02:24Our colleague Ian Murtagh mentioned that if you are 20 years old, these are some of the
02:28best times you will have witnessed at the Stadium of Light.
02:30And I don't think we should forget that.
02:32Obviously, we're a little bit older by about 10 years.
02:34So we've witnessed a couple of Derby Day results and some other things.
02:37But this period that we've seen over the past sort of four or five months from get promoted
02:42to the Championship to our first game in the Premier League has been a real, real treat.
02:47The likes of which we haven't seen for a long, long time.
02:49I mean, I did the math on this and it's our first win in the Premier League in over 3,000
02:54days.
02:54Our first win at home.
02:57It's halcyon days, really.
02:59And, you know, there's a lot of people really who aren't here anymore to witness this.
03:03And that's very sad, but it's an incredible journey with all being on.
03:07It is.
03:08It is.
03:08And obviously, you know, we say all this with a caveat that it's one game.
03:11Yeah, yeah.
03:11You know, but at the same time, when you look where the club has been, I think you've got
03:15to really relish these moments.
03:16And, you know, Sunderland, for my money, good value for a winter day.
03:20I thought West Ham had some good spells, but I don't think anyone could begrudge Sunderland
03:23three points.
03:24And like you say, the atmosphere in the ground, the whole day.
03:27I got off the Met row and the air felt like it was fizzing.
03:30You know, the city's just been so up for this and it's brilliant.
03:33It's really brilliant.
03:34And it is worth saying that it is just one game.
03:36We've still got 37 left to play in the Premier League.
03:38I watched Liverpool-Bournemouth last night and I was absolutely blown away by the quality
03:42from both sides.
03:43Yeah.
03:44You know, that sort of level scares me.
03:45I think West Ham were very below par.
03:48We have shown that we can compete.
03:49Yeah.
03:50But it's not done and there's a long way to go.
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