Sunderland have taken the Premier League 2025/2026 by storm.
The newly promoted Black Cats haven’t just come up to survive in the league; they are competing for European qualification and fear no one, as demonstrated by their brave play and determination in duels.
It cannot be overstated just how significant an achievement it is for Sunderland, who in 2022 were in the 3rd tier of English Football, to now be fourth in the EPL table, having collected the same number of points as Liverpool, the 2024/2025 Champions.
Whether it’s Dan Ballard buccaneering from centre-back into opposition territory, Nordi Mukieles aerial dominance, or Granit Xhaka’s veteran ability to put a pass on an absolute sixpence, the squad is full of surprises.
Led by the calmness of Régis Le Bris, Sunderland have a variety of different ways to approach matches.
It’s not the old-fashioned, low block and counter that you might expect with a side promoted from the EFL Championship.
Sunderland can press high and surprise teams, as Chelsea found out the hard way when Sunderland defeated them 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.
A SAFC player who scored in that match and is often a terrific outlet for when Sunderland AFC want to go long is Wilson Isidor.
Having spent a lot of time away on loan spells since 2018, Isidor has become a fan favourite and for good reason.
This Wilson Isidor scout report and player analysis aims to go deep into the Sunderland strikers game to show why thats the case.
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Wilson Isidor Link-Up & Hold Up Play
Wilson Isidor ticks the boxes of what you want from a modern forward in the Premier League.
It’s a highly physical league, which is why you see top clubs signing players like Nick Woltemade, Bryan Mbeumo, Alexander Isak, and Viktor Gyökeres.
Sure, they can all play with the ball at their feet, but they are all physically imposing, hard to shrug off the ball, or brilliant in the air.
You need technicality and physicality.
Luckily for Sunderland, Isidor has proven that he has both.
It’s not easy for players to replicate their form or the promise they showed in the Championship and translate it to the Premier League.
Still, Wilson Isidor’s link-up play and role as a target man for Sunderland in bypassing the press are making things look simple.
It’s as if the striker is unperturbed by the most physically demanding league.
His game against Nottingham Forest is an example of this.
He likes to play on the shoulder of the striker as he has the pace to run in behind a defensive line and into the channels if needed.
He’s often the lone striker, but this doesn’t stop him from being a threat.
There is a pause in his movement before he latches onto the through ball quicker than the defender, taking him into one corner of the pitch.
At the time of the action, because he is the ‘sole’ threat, it attracts many Forest defenders to his movements.
Isidor then turns and can cut the ball back onto the edge of the penalty area, bringing others into play.
It’s brilliant link-up play as he has the skill and control to attract multiple defenders at once and wait for the movement of others.
Where Isidor does this often, Sunderland don’t commit as many bodies up the pitch as they do when they press high, especially away from home.
This is to ensure that in a rest defence, they have more than enough men in reserve in case an attack breaks down, so they can quell a quick counterattack.
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