Chemsdine Talbi scored Sunderland's only goal against Hull City, chipping Dillon Phillips in the 71st minute. It came after Florent Ghisolfi had made clear before kick-off that Talbi would not be leaving the Black Cats, and it gave Sunderland a neat answer to a week of transfer noise.
Talbi's role after the summer talk
Talbi had featured just once for Sunderland before this tie, coming off the bench against Ipswich Town on the opening day. He did not need long to make a case here. The finish was tidy, and the move that led to it also involved Thomas Meunier flicking the ball on for the winning attack.
The wider point is that Sunderland still appear willing to use him. Talbi's 6.55 rating over his last five matches suggests a steady base rather than a one-off spike, while his 6.2 Premier League rating in 2026 shows he has not yet fully settled at league level. This was not a grand verdict on his season. It was a reminder that he can still give Sunderland something in the moments they need it.
Sunderland's rotation still produced a result
Regis Le Bris made 11 changes from the side that drew 1-1 at Brentford, and seven of the starters were under 23, with six aged 21 or younger. Sunderland still got through the game and saw out late Hull City pressure, which is a decent return for a heavily changed side.
The rotation came against uneven league form, too. Sunderland have won three of their last five league matches, but the run has also included a loss at Ipswich Town and the draw at Brentford. A cup night like this does not solve every question around the squad, but it does give Talbi a concrete case to stay involved when the season opens up again.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
