Granit Xhaka did not hide the scale of the problem after Sunderland's 3-1 defeat to Coventry. The captain said the team are bottom of the Premier League after nine games because they are not carrying training-ground standards into matches, and repeated mistakes are costing them.

Xhaka's verdict after the defeat

"We are not doing the things that we have been speaking about; we are not doing the things that we are doing in training. Again, so many mistakes. We have no chance to win any games like this," Xhaka told BBC after the loss.

He added that Sunderland are "getting punished every weekend" and admitted the side are "in a difficult position". That assessment was backed by Regis le Bris, who said Sunderland can create chances but are undone by "many unforced errors".

Le Bris was even clearer on the cause. "It's not a question of luck, it's a question of us," he said, after Coventry seized on the opportunities they were given.

League problems, European contrast

The league numbers are ugly enough on their own. Sunderland have conceded 17 goals in nine Premier League matches, scored only 7, and sit on 5 points with a goal difference of -10.

Yet the European return has gone the other way. Sunderland are ninth in the Europa League with 7 points from 3 games, and they have taken 2 wins and a draw from those matches. They have also picked up only 1 point in their three league games that followed European outings this season, which leaves the domestic slump looking more about repeat mistakes than bad fortune.

The schedule does not give them much breathing room. Sunderland travel to AC Milan at the San Siro on 10 December, then face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League three days later before a looming league run against Chelsea, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Liverpool and Newcastle.

The split between competitions is already stark, but the league table is the part that matters most. Sunderland are bottom, and the next few weeks bring Milan, Forest and a difficult run of Premier League fixtures.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →