Sunderland 0-1 Fulham: Player Ratings

Sunderland lost to Fulham 0-1 at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon, in the sides' first Premier League game of the season, thanks to a goal from Fulham midfielder Pajtim Kasami's second half goal. It was the first competitive game for Paolo Di Canio's revolutionary side, a game that no pundit could predict. And as it turned out it was Fulham who won the match after controlling it for just one minute, the minute in which Kasami scored a header at the far post of Kieron Westwood's goal. The Black Cats produced an exciting display of attacking football throughout the match, something which the Wearside club have been lacking, though many of the resulting shots were rash and radical with only a handful actually hitting the target, and then there was Fulham's defending. The Cottagers kept their back line strong throughout the match, even with significant injuries to Kieran Richardson and Maarten Stekelenburg, and the London club managed to shut the game out effectively as the Di Canio's side couldn't take their chances. Sunderland fans could see the differences in the way the new-look squad played with a first-half possession percentage of 58%, and they had taken a total of 20 shots throughout the game, statistics relatively unheard on Wearside in recent years. But how did the players get on individually though? Click next to find out...
Contributor
Contributor

Sports writer for Forza Italian Football and Digital Sports Group among others. Editor of Sunderland fan base, Outside Sunderland. Always looking for new opportunities and new stories.