Maarten Stekelenburg: The new keeper impressed on his debut with several incredible saves. 7/10Sascha Riether: Struggled to deal with Giaccherini but looked creative on the break. 6/10Brede Hangeland: Commanding performance from the tall Norwegian and did well to keep Altidore from scoring. 7/10Aaron Hughes: The Northern Irishman won several aerial duels against Altidore, though he couldn't force the American off the ball. 6/10Kieran Richardson: The former Sunderland man, who struggled with injuries last season, managed to get injured within the first 20 minutes after being given the run about by Adam Johnson. 4/10Steve Sidwell: Defended well when he was needed to but couldn't really contribute to the attack due to the significant pressure from the Black Cats. 5/10Damien Duff: Set up the goal and made good choices when he was given the chance. 6/10Adel Taarabt: Was not fully match fit but showed glimpses of his class. 6/10Derek Boateng: Made too many fouls and was lucky to survive with just a yellow card. 5/10Pajtim Kasami: Scored and that was about it from the young Swiss. 6/10Dimitar Berbatov: Led the Fulham attack well which was only shown in brief glimpses, due to the amount of possession Sunderland had. 6/10Substitutions: Matthew Briggs (20th minute for Richardson) 6, Giorgos Karagounis (65th minute for Boateng) 5, David Stockdale (76th minute for Stekelenburg) 6. STAR MAN - Adam Johnson The Sunderland winger started the season with a bang. He looked fitter, sharper and mored determined to create something, necessities which he lacked in his maiden campaign at the Stadium of Light. He looked a natural playmaker as he teamed up with a new exciting front four and if he continues to perform like this, a return to the England national squad could be on the agenda. Were you at the game? Share your own ratings below.