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Sunderland end 53-year drought with 1-0 Europa win

By Drooid · Sep 17, 2026, 2:15 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Sunderland Break Drought

Sunderland defeated AZ Alkmaar 1-0 in the Europa League opener at the Stadium of Light.
Enzo Le Fée scored the winning penalty in the 66th minute.
The victory marked Sunderland’s first European win since 1973, ending a 53-year drought.
Sunderland were missing Habib Diarra (thigh) and Romain Mundle (knee) for the match.
AZ Alkmaar coach Leeroy Echteld praised his young side’s performance despite the loss.

Summary

Arsenal Demand Review

Arsenal have requested a meeting with Pro Ref to question the Sunderland penalty.
Mikel Arteta called the penalty unacceptable at this level and warned it could affect the title race.
Jamie Carragher likened Arteta’s rant to Sir Alex Ferguson’s habit of confronting referees.
Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett praised referee John Brooks for awarding the penalty.
VAR official Stuart Attwell reviewed the incident and found no clear and obvious error.

History

Historical Context

In 1999 Arsenal’s title race was overseen by referee Graham Poll, whose later mistakes—like the disallowed Everton-Liverpool goal in April 2000—fuelled criticism of officiating. Arsenal finished the 1999-2000 season second, 18 points behind Manchester United. Sunderland’s current dispute with John Brooks echoes that legacy, prompting tighter VAR rules across European football.

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Sunderland Break Drought

Sunderland defeated AZ Alkmaar 1-0 in the Europa League opener at the Stadium of Light.
Enzo Le Fée scored the winning penalty in the 66th minute.
The victory marked Sunderland’s first European win since 1973, ending a 53-year drought.
Sunderland were missing Habib Diarra (thigh) and Romain Mundle (knee) for the match.
AZ Alkmaar coach Leeroy Echteld praised his young side’s performance despite the loss.

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