Sunderland's shattered dream.

Sunderland's European dream is slowly crumbling in a bitter way.

Sunderland are drifting further away from securing a European cup spot.

Six months ago, the "Black Cats" were firmly in the top four and had high hopes of qualifying for European competition. However, they now face the risk of finishing the season in the bottom half of the table, or even close to the relegation zone, with three consecutive matches against Everton, Manchester United, and Chelsea.

On the evening of May 2nd, the 1-1 draw away at Wolves was clear evidence of that decline. Sunderland started promisingly when Nordi Mukiele opened the scoring in the first half. However, the turning point came with Dan Ballard's red card after pulling striker Tolu Arokodare's hair. The decision was made after referee Paul Tierney consulted VAR, leaving the visitors with only 10 men.

Playing with ten men for over an hour, Sunderland were unable to maintain their advantage. Santi Bueno capitalized on the opportunity to equalize for Wolves before halftime, leaving the "Black Cats" stunned. The result saw them drop to 12th place, falling behind in the race for European qualification.

Since the beginning of February, Sunderland's form has been quite inconsistent. In their last 11 Premier League matches, Sunderland have only won 3 and lost 6. They have conceded 20 goals, an average of 1.81 goals conceded per game.

According to the BBC , Sunderland's decline stems from poor form, a stagnant attack, and a thin squad. Despite a promising start, the Stadium of Light side failed to maintain consistency and consistently dropped points in crucial matches.

With a challenging schedule ahead, their European dreams are slowly fading away in disappointment.

Source: https://znews.vn/giac-mong-tan-cua-sunderland-post1648353.html