Malick Fofana said his patience and hard work had finally paid off after scoring his first Sunderland goal in a 3-2 win over Brentford at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland secured their place in the quarter-finals after scoring all three of their goals during a 13-minute spell in the first half. Fofana’s goal proved decisive, despite a late Brentford fightback.
Chemsdine Talbi put the hosts ahead after Jocelin Ta Bi had seen an effort cleared off the line. Ta Bi then set up Tymur Tutierov before providing the assist for Fofana, whose first goal for Sunderland ultimately became the winner.
Callum Wilson reduced the deficit for Brentford before half-time, while Igor Thiago scored in second-half stoppage time. The Bees, however, could not find an equaliser.
Sunderland had less of the expected-goals (xG) value, losing that battle 2.37 to 2.75. Brentford also created four Opta-defined big chances from 16 shots, but Sunderland were more efficient with the opportunities they produced.
“I’m very happy. Finally, you can say,” said Fofana, who joined Sunderland from Lyon at the end of the summer transfer window.
“It was very hard, so I’ve been patient and I’m very happy with my goal.
“It’s always a good feeling to score at home with the fans. They support us every day, every time, so I’m very happy to give them something back.
“Since day one, I’ve felt a warm welcome, so I already feel at home. I’m very happy here and just enjoying the moment. I work hard every day, so I hope I can continue like this.
“The win was also very important for the team, so I hope we can continue on Saturday.”
Ta Bi was central to Sunderland’s attacking display. He created three chances, more than any other player, completed two of his three dribbles, won eight of 15 duels and regained possession five times.
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris praised the young player’s natural ability while stressing the importance of giving him opportunities to develop other parts of his game.
“Jocelin comes from another country, another culture, we can’t teach him how to dribble because he’s gifted,” said Le Bris.
“He worked hard to gain those qualities, but we can help him to learn to defend. He was brave, running much more than expected, but he was still able to deliver those two assists.
“He’s a young player, and we want to give opportunities to young players. It’s always easier with experienced players. In our mind, we can combine both. They can’t learn until they are exposed to the problems.”
Sunderland’s reward for the victory is a quarter-final trip to Crystal Palace.
