Xhaka and Isidor deliver honest Sunderland verdict after Fulham win

Granit Xhaka and Wilson Isidor admitted Sunderland had fallen below their standards before producing the response they needed in victory over Fulham at the Stadium of Light.

After a disappointing performance against Ipswich, Régis Le Bris' side were determined to rediscover the intensity that made them so difficult to play against last season.

Sunderland were not at their fluent best against Fulham either, but second-half substitutes Habib Diarra and Isidor combined for the decisive goal, securing an important response from the Black Cats.

Captain Xhaka was particularly critical of Sunderland's previous display against Ipswich.

The experienced midfielder felt that performance lacked the qualities that had become fundamental to Sunderland's identity.

“Against Ipswich, it was not Sunderland, it was not ourselves that made us strong last season,” Xhaka told Sky Sports.

The response against Fulham was therefore about more than simply collecting three points.

Xhaka wanted to see the hunger, collective spirit and character return, particularly against a Fulham side who had beaten Sunderland home and away last season.

“We wanted to show them that at home nobody can beat us or it's difficult to beat us,” he added.

While Sunderland eventually achieved that objective, the performance was not straightforward.

Fulham successfully frustrated Sunderland for much of the first half by restricting the spaces Le Bris' side wanted to exploit.

The hosts also made an uncertain start to the second period before Le Bris acted in the 64th minute, introducing Diarra and Isidor.

Both substitutes immediately increased Sunderland's attacking threat.

Isidor initially struck the post following Enzo Le Fée's delivery from the left, but the striker refused to allow that miss to affect him.

His second major opportunity produced the winner.

Diarra drove forward down the right and delivered a low ball into the penalty area, where Isidor moved ahead of his opponent and converted.

Isidor highlighted the importance of immediately responding to setbacks, drawing a comparison between his missed opportunity and Sunderland's disappointing previous performance.

“You can miss, but you have to react straight again,” he told Sky Sports.

“We played bad, and today we switched to play better again. So you can miss chances but the next one you have to be ready.”

That mentality ultimately defined Sunderland's afternoon.

They struggled to break Fulham down for significant periods but remained patient before their substitutes provided the greater pace and directness required to change the game.

The main negative was Diarra's inability to finish the match.

After creating Isidor's winner, the midfielder appeared to suffer a problem and was replaced by Chris Rigg with seven minutes remaining.

It was a frustrating conclusion to an otherwise influential cameo.

Diarra provided exactly the penetration Sunderland had previously lacked, making his potential fitness issue something Le Bris will want assessed quickly.

Sunderland will assess Diarra after the midfielder's impressive substitute appearance ended prematurely.

For Le Bris, however, the bigger message was the response. Sunderland were not perfect against Fulham, but Xhaka and Isidor both recognised the return of the determination and collective mentality that had been missing from their previous performance.