When Sunderland were drawn to face AC Milan at the San Siro in the Europa League, the prospect of testing themselves against European aristocracy was a tantalizing reward for their impressive return to the top flight.
However, by the time they travel to Italy on December 10th, the visit to the iconic stadium may feel like a distraction from a far more pressing concern: a Premier League relegation battle. The Black Cats, last season’s surprise package, currently prop up the table after nine matches following a 3-1 defeat to Coventry City.
The fixture list offers little respite before the Milan trip. Sunderland must navigate a brutal sequence against Chelsea, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Liverpool, and Newcastle United, interspersed with home European ties against Dinamo Zagreb and Jagiellonia Bialystok. Should they fail to arrest their slide, they could be cut adrift at the bottom before they even set foot in Lombardy.
Consequently, the home clash with fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest three days after the San Siro visit may ultimately prove more pivotal to their season than the glamour tie itself. Sunderland have not tasted league victory since beating Fulham on August 30th—two days after the European draw was made—a run encompassing six defeats and two draws.
“Very disappointed,” admitted captain Granit Xhaka after the Coventry loss. “We are not doing the things we have been speaking about; we are not doing the things we do in training. Again, so many mistakes. We have no chance to win any games like this.”
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