Sunderland 2-1 Crystal Palace Player Ratings: Sunderland's Dream Run Continues As They See Off Glasner's Men at Home

Sunderland saw off Crystal Palace in a tightly contested matchday 22 fixture of the 2025/26 English Premier League. The hosts struggled a bit in the first half as Palace controlled the game well, but they managed just in time to take all three points from this home fixture.

Yeremy Pino opened the scoring in the 30th minute for the Eagles. However, their happiness was short-lived as Enzo Le Fee equalised in the 33rd minute, thanks to an assist from Nordi Mukiele. This was Le Fee's third goal of the season and Mukiele's second assist in the 2025/26 campaign.

Sunderland completed the comeback through a brilliant Brian Brobbey finish in the 71st minute from inside the penalty area. Sunderland were the better side for most of the game, with 63% posession throughout the game.

Crystal Palace didn't even have a sniff at goal after going in front in the first half, as the Black Cats massively improved their defensive performance after going down. They held their nerves and scored when it mattered the most to clinch an important win.

Check out the Sunderland vs Crystal Palace Player Ratings below from the all-exciting Premier League game.

Key Takeaways

• Brobbey earned top honours with an excellent rating, scoring the decisive goal and playing a pivotal role in turning the game around after Palace had taken the lead.
• Several Black Cats impressed beyond Brobbey, defenders and midfielders contributed strongly, helping Sunderland overturn the early deficit and secure all three points at the Stadium of Light.
• Palace took the lead through Yéremy Pino but lacked consistency and were ultimately outplayed in key phases. Enzo Le Fee and Brian Brobbey scored the goals for Sunderland, which proved to be decisive.

Sunderland Player Ratings vs Crystal Palace

Here are the Sunderland Player Ratings from the Sunderland vs Crystal Palace Player Ratings.

Goalkeeper

Robin Roefs - 7.0: A solid outing for the keeper. He made a crucial save inside the box and showed confidence with his punches and claims. We noticed his distribution was excellent, finding teammates consistently. From our perspective, he couldn't do much about the goal conceded. His command of the area was commendable throughout the match.

Defenders

Dan Ballard - 6.5: A mixed but mostly steady performance. He was a force in the air, winning several headers and making a whopping seven clearances. However, he was dribbled past once and committed a couple of fouls. What stood out to us was his one key pass, showing some ambition going forward. A decent, if not spectacular, day.

Omar Alderete - 6.0: He struggled at times, particularly in the air. The yellow card he picked up was a bit clumsy, and he looked a little off the pace. He did manage three clearances, but from our perspective, he was the weaker link in the backline. Not his best performance, to be honest.

Reinildo Mandava - 7.0: A really energetic performance down the left. He won the majority of his duels and was a constant outlet, even creating a chance. We did notice he lost possession a fair bit, but it was usually in an attempt to make something happen. A very proactive and involved display.

Nordi Mukiele - 7.5: Provided the crucial assist for the equaliser with a great cross. He was a menace going forward, creating two key passes. Defensively, he was a bit of a whirlwind, winning nine duels but also losing possession a staggering 25 times and picking up a yellow. An exciting but chaotic performance.

Midfielders

Romaine Mundle - 5.5: A quiet and often frustrating game for the midfielder. He just couldn't seem to impose himself on the match. He lost the ball too frequently and his creative output was minimal. We expected more from him in this Premier League fixture.

Noah Sadiki - 6.5: A tidy, if unspectacular, performance in the middle of the park. He kept the ball moving with an 88% pass accuracy and did his defensive duties well. He won a decent number of his duels and put in a disciplined shift. A classic glue guy performance.

Enzo Le Fée - 8.0: Scored the vital equalising goal with a well-taken shot from the centre of the box. He was a bright spark throughout, always looking to get on the ball and make things happen. Besides the goal, he also created a chance and put in the defensive work. A top performance when his team needed it.

Trai Hume - 7.0: An all-action display. He was unlucky not to score, hitting the woodwork and forcing two saves from the keeper. However, his performance was marred by a yellow card and losing eight duels. His relentless energy was positive, but he needs to add more composure.

Granit Xhaka - 6.0: A surprisingly subdued performance from the captain. While his passing was generally fine, an error leading to a shot is a major black mark against his name. He lost possession 16 times, which is unlike him. From our perspective, he didn't control the midfield as we expected.

Forwards

Brian Brobbey - 8.5: The hero of the day. He scored the winning goal with a clinical finish, capping off a superb individual performance. He was a physical nightmare for the opposition defenders, winning seven duels and drawing three fouls. His hold-up play was immense, and he was deservedly the highest-rated player on the pitch.

Manager

R. Le Bris - 7.5: His team showed great character to come from behind. The tactics allowed his full-backs to get forward and influence the game, which paid off handsomely. He'll be delighted with the win at the Stadium of Light, though he might want to address the number of yellow cards his team picked up.

Crystal Palace Player Ratings vs Sunderland

Here are the Crystal Palace Player Ratings from the Sunderland vs Crystal Palace Player Ratings.

Goalkeeper

Dean Henderson - 5.5: A difficult day for the captain. He made three saves, including a good one from a Trai Hume effort, but he was ultimately beaten twice. His distribution was poor, with only 45% of his passes finding a teammate. From our view, he looked a little shaky.

Defenders

Maxence Lacroix - 6.0: He struggled mightily against the physicality of Brian Brobbey. He lost most of his aerial duels and looked vulnerable throughout. He did make five clearances, but it was a reactive, rather than proactive, defensive display. A tough afternoon.

Jefferson Lerma - 7.0: A very strong defensive performance, which was surprising given his midfield history. He won an incredible nine out of ten duels and made three interceptions. He read the game superbly and was a rock at the back. It was a shame his efforts were in a losing cause.

Chris Richards - 7.0: A really solid display from the American. He was a clearance machine with ten, and he won the vast majority of his duels. His yellow card was the only real blemish on an otherwise impressive defensive showing. He did everything he could to keep Sunderland at bay.

Midfielders

Tyrick Mitchell - 5.0: A poor performance. He missed a big chance that could have changed the game and picked up a needless yellow card. He was ineffective going forward and struggled defensively, winning only a third of his duels. A day to forget for him.

Will Hughes - 6.0: He worked hard but had little impact on the game. His passing was safe, and he lost the ball a bit too often for our liking. He was dispossessed twice and just couldn't provide the creative spark Crystal Palace needed from their midfield.

Adam Wharton - 4.5: The worst performer on the pitch. An error that led to a shot, a yellow card, and being dispossessed three times tells the story. He looked completely overwhelmed in the midfield battle and was a liability for his team. A really disappointing outing.

Justin Devenny - 5.5: He was largely anonymous. He didn't do much wrong, but he didn't do much right either. His stats show a player who struggled to get involved in any meaningful way, with low duel win percentages and a lot of lost possession. Simply not involved enough.

Forwards

Yéremy Pino - 8.0: Crystal Palace's best player by a distance. He took his goal brilliantly and was a constant threat with his movement and creativity, creating two key passes. He worked hard defensively too. It was a fantastic individual performance that deserved more.

Brennan Johnson - 5.0: A very quiet game for a player of his quality. He barely touched the ball, and his passing was wayward. He offered next to nothing in an attacking sense, which was a huge disappointment. We barely noticed he was on the pitch.

Jean-Philippe Mateta - 6.5: He worked hard up front, winning a good number of duels and drawing fouls. He created a big chance and was a physical presence. However, he was caught offside twice and missed a big chance himself. A mixed bag of a performance.

Manager

O. Glasner - 6.0: His team started brightly and got the opening goal, but they couldn't hold on. The midfield was completely overrun, a tactical issue he failed to solve during the game. He'll be frustrated that his team surrendered a lead and left with nothing from this match.

Man of the Match

Brian Brobbey was our man of the match from the Sunderland vs Crystal Palace game.

Worst Performer

Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace was the worst performer in the Sunderland vs Crystal Palace game.