| 2015–16 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| .jpg.webp) Joyous Black Cats celebrate a goal at home to Chelsea, May 2016 | |||
| Chairman | Ellis Short | ||
| Manager | Dick Advocaat (until 4 October 2015) Sam Allardyce (from 9 October 2015) | ||
| Stadium | Stadium of Light | ||
| Premier League | 17th | ||
| FA Cup | Third round | ||
| League Cup | Third round | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Jermain Defoe (15) All: Jermain Defoe (18) | ||
|  | |||
The 2015–16 season is Sunderland's 137th season in existence, and their ninth consecutive season in the Premier League.[1] Along with competing in the Premier League, the club also participated in the FA Cup and League Cup. The season covers the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016. On May 11 2016, Sunderland confirmed a tenth consecutive Premier League season with a 3–0 victory over Everton at the Stadium of Light. Simultaneously, the result confirmed the relegation of arch-rivals Newcastle.
Squad
First Team Squad
| Squad No. | Name | Nationality | Position (s) | Date of Birth (Age) | Signed from | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||
| 13 | Jordan Pickford |  | GK | 7 March 1994 | Academy | |
| 25 | Vito Mannone |  | GK | 2 March 1988 |  Arsenal | |
| 33 | Steve Harper |  | GK | 14 March 1975 | Free Agent | |
| Defenders | ||||||
| 2 | Billy Jones |  | RB | 24 March 1987 |  West Bromwich Albion | |
| 3 | Patrick van Aanholt |  | LB | 29 August 1990 |  Chelsea | |
| 5 | Wes Brown |  | CB | 13 October 1979 |  Manchester United | |
| 15 | Younès Kaboul |  | CB | 4 January 1986 |  Tottenham Hotspur | |
| 16 | John O'Shea (captain) |  | CB | 30 April 1981 |  Manchester United | |
| 23 | Lamine Koné |  | CB | 1 February 1988 |  Lorient | |
| 24 | DeAndre Yedlin |  | RB | 9 July 1993 |  Tottenham Hotspur (on loan) | |
| 34 | Thomas Robson U21 |  | LB | 11 September 1995 |  Darlington | |
| Midfielders | ||||||
| 6 | Lee Cattermole (vice-captain) |  | DM | 21 March 1988 |  Wigan Athletic | |
| 7 | Sebastian Larsson |  | CM | 6 June 1985 |  Birmingham City | |
| 8 | Jack Rodwell |  | CM | 11 March 1991 |  Manchester City | |
| 17 | Jeremain Lens |  | LW | 24 November 1987 |  Dynamo Kyiv | |
| 20 | Ola Toivonen |  | AM | 3 July 1986 |  Rennes (on loan) | |
| 21 | Yann M'Vila |  | DM | 29 June 1990 |  Rubin Kazan (on loan) | |
| 22 | Wahbi Khazri |  | AM | 8 February 1991 |  Bordeaux | |
| 27 | Jan Kirchhoff |  | DM | 1 October 1990 |  Bayern Munich | |
| 37 | Rees Greenwood U21 |  | LW | 20 January 1996 | Academy | |
| 39 | George Honeyman U21 |  | AM | 8 September 1994 | Academy | |
| 41 | Duncan Watmore |  | RW | 8 March 1994 |  Altrincham | |
| 46 | Lynden Gooch U21 |  | AM | 24 December 1995 | Academy | |
| Forwards | ||||||
| 9 | Fabio Borini |  | ST | 29 March 1991 |  Liverpool | |
| 10 | Dame N'Doye |  | ST | 21 February 1985 (age 30) |  Trabzonspor (on loan) | |
| 18 | Jermain Defoe |  | ST | 7 October 1982 | .svg.png.webp) Toronto | |
- U21 = Under-21 player
New contracts
| No. | Pos | Player | Until | Source | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Defender |  Wes Brown | June 2016 | [2] | 
| 6 | Midfielder |  Lee Cattermole | June 2021 | [3] | 
| 41 | Midfielder |  Duncan Watmore | June 2020 | [4] | 
| 13 | Goalkeeper |  Jordan Pickford | June 2020 | [5] | 
| 39 | Midfielder |  George Honeyman | June 2017 | [6] | 
| 46 | Midfielder |  Lynden Gooch | June 2019 | [7] | 
Transfers and loans
Transfers in
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Fee | Ref. | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 2015 | CB |  | Sebastián Coates |  Liverpool | £2,000,000 | [8] | 
| 3 Jul 2015 | RB |  | Adam Matthews |  Celtic | £2,000,000 | [9] | 
| 15 Jul 2015 | LW |  | Jeremain Lens |  Dynamo Kyiv | £8,000,000 | [10] | 
| 16 Jul 2015 | CB |  | Younès Kaboul |  Tottenham Hotspur | £3,000,000 | [11] | 
| 31 Aug 2015 | ST |  | Fabio Borini |  Liverpool | £10,000,000 | [12] | 
| 7 Jan 2016 | CB |  | Jan Kirchhoff |  Bayern Munich | £750,000 | [13] | 
| 22 Jan 2016 | GK |  | Steve Harper | Free Agent | Free | [14] | 
| 27 Jan 2016 | CB |  | Lamine Koné |  Lorient | £5,000,000 | [15] | 
| 30 Jan 2016 | AM |  | Wahbi Khazri |  Bordeaux | £9,000,000 | [16] | 
| 9 Mar 2016 | RB |  | Emmanuel Eboué | Free Agent | Free | [17] | 
Total Spending:  £39,750,000
 £39,750,000
Loans in
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Date until | Ref. | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Aug 2015 | DM |  | Yann M'Vila |  Rubin Kazan | End of season | [18] | 
| 28 Aug 2015 | AM |  | Ola Toivonen |  Rennes | End of season | [19] | 
| 1 Sep 2015 | RB |  | DeAndre Yedlin |  Tottenham Hotspur | End of season | [20] | 
| 14 Jan 2016 | ST |  | Dame N'Doye |  Trabzonspor | End of season | [21] | 
Transfers out
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Fee | Ref. | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 2015 | DM |  | El Hadji Ba |  Charlton Athletic | £500,000 | [22] | 
| 30 Jun 2015 | RB |  | Anthony Réveillère | Free agent | Released | [23] | 
| 3 Aug 2015 | ST |  | Connor Wickham |  Crystal Palace | £9,000,000 | [24] | 
| 19 Jan 2016 | GK |  | Costel Pantilimon |  Watford | £6,000,000 | [25] | 
| 11 Feb 2016 | RW |  | Adam Johnson | Free Agent | Sacked | [26] | 
| 31 March 2016 | RB |  | Emmanuel Eboué | Free Agent | Released | [27] | 
| 5 May 2016 | CB |  | Valentin Roberge | Free Agent | Released | [28] | 
Total Received:  £15,500,000
 £15,500,000
Loans out
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Date until | Ref. | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 2015 | CB |  | Santiago Vergini |  Getafe | End of season | [29] | 
| 31 Jul 2015 | GK |  | Jordan Pickford |  Preston North End | 31 Dec 2015 | [30] | 
| 31 Aug 2015 | AM |  | Emanuele Giaccherini |  Bologna | End of season | [31] | 
| 2 Oct 2015 | LW |  | Will Buckley |  Leeds United | 26 Nov 2015 | [32] | 
| 15 Jan 2016 |  Birmingham City | End of season | [33] | |||
| 26 Nov 2015 | DM |  | Liam Bridcutt |  Leeds United | End of season | [34][35] | 
| 20 Jan 2016 | ST |  | Danny Graham |  Blackburn Rovers | End of season | [36] | 
| 21 Jan 2016 | AM |  | Lynden Gooch U21 |  Doncaster Rovers | Mar 21 2016 | [37][38] | 
| 27 Jan 2016 | RW |  | Charalampos Mavrias |  Fortuna Düsseldorf | End of season | [39] | 
| 28 Jan 2016 | CB |  | Sebastián Coates |  Sporting CP | End of season | [40] | 
| 31 Jan 2016 | CM |  | Jordi Gomez |  Blackburn Rovers | End of season | [41] | 
| 31 Jan 2016 | ST |  | Steven Fletcher |  Marseille | End of season | [42] | 
| 7 Mar 2016 | RB |  | Adam Matthews |  Bristol City | End of season | [43] | 
Pre-season friendlies
On 26 May 2015, Sunderland announced two pre-season friendly against Darlington 1883[44] and Doncaster Rovers.[45] On 5 June 2015, a tour of the United States and Canada was announced.[46] On 23 June 2015, an exhibition match against Hannover 96 was announced to be played in Germany.[47]
| 9 July 2015 Friendly | Darlington 1883 | 2–4 | Sunderland | Bishop Auckland | 
| 19:45 BST | Thompson  8' Mitchell  18' | Report | Giaccherini  23', 70' Graham  53' Wickham  62' | Stadium: Heritage Park | 
| 14 July 2015 Friendly | Sacramento Republic   | 1–0 | Sunderland | Sacramento, United States | 
| 20:00 PDT | Iwasa  58' | Report | Stadium: Bonney Field | 
| 17 July 2015 Friendly | Pachuca   | 3–1 | Sunderland | Sacramento, United States | 
| 19:30 PDT | Nahuelpán  16', 25' Lozano  67' | Report | Rodwell  4' | Stadium: Bonney Field | 
| 22 July 2015 Friendly | Toronto .svg.png.webp)  | 1–2 | Sunderland | Toronto, Canada | 
| 19:00 EDT | Osorio  46' | Report | Defoe  65', 69' | Stadium: BMO Field | 
| 29 July 2015 Friendly | Doncaster Rovers | 2–0 | Sunderland | Doncaster | 
| 19:45 BST | Evina  15' Forrester  61' | Report | Stadium: Keepmoat Stadium | 
| 1 August 2015 Friendly | Hannover 96   | 0–1 | Sunderland | Hanover, Germany | 
| 17:00 CET (UTC+2) | Report | Lens  75' | Stadium: HDI-Arena | 
Competitions
Overall
| Competition | Started round | Current position / round | Final position / round | First match | Last match | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | — | — | 17th | 8 August 2015 | 15 May 2016 | 
| FA Cup | Third round | — | Third round | 9 January 2016 | 9 January 2016 | 
| League Cup | Second round | — | Third round | 25 August 2015 | 22 September 2015 | 
Updated to match played 15 May 2016
Source: Competitions
Overview
| Competition | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |
| Premier League | 38 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 48 | 62 | −14 | 23.68 | 
| FA Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0.00 | 
| League Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 | +0 | 50.00 | 
| Total | 41 | 10 | 12 | 19 | 56 | 72 | −16 | 24.39 | 
Updated to match played 15 May 2016
Source: Competitions
Premier League
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 38 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 39 | 51 | −12 | 42 | |
| 16 | Bournemouth | 38 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 45 | 67 | −22 | 42 | |
| 17 | Sunderland | 38 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 48 | 62 | −14 | 39 | |
| 18 | Newcastle United (R) | 38 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 44 | 65 | −21 | 37 | Relegation to the EFL Championship | 
| 19 | Norwich City (R) | 38 | 9 | 7 | 22 | 39 | 67 | −28 | 34 | 
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champion, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions).[48]
(R) Relegated
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | 
| 38 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 48 | 62 | −14 | 39 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 23 | 20 | +3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 25 | 42 | −17 | 
Last updated: 15 May 2016.
Source: Premier League
Results by matchday
Matches
On 17 June 2015, the fixtures for the forthcoming season were announced.[49]
| 8 August 2015 1 | Leicester City | 4–2 | Sunderland | Leicester | 
| 15:00 BST | Vardy  11'  49' Mahrez  18', 25' (pen.) Albrighton  66' Schlupp  90+1' | Report | Rodwell  17' Jones  42' Defoe  60' Fletcher  71' Kaboul  73' Coates  85' | Stadium: King Power Stadium Attendance: 32,242 Referee: Lee Mason | 
| 15 August 2015 2 | Sunderland | 1–3 | Norwich City | Sunderland | 
| 15:00 BST | Lens  9' Watmore  88' | Report | Bassong  7' Martin  26' Wthittaker  37' Tettey  48' Redmond  57' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 41,379 Referee: Kevin Friend | 
| 22 August 2015 3 | Sunderland | 1–1 | Swansea City | Sunderland | 
| 15:00 BST | Lens  18' Cattermole  21' Coates  47' Defoe  62' van Aanholt  82' | Report | Gomis  45+3' Ayew  54' Sigurðsson  90+2' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 39,198 Referee: Neil Swarbrick | 
| 29 August 2015 4 | Aston Villa | 2–2 | Sunderland | Birmingham | 
| 15:00 BST | Sinclair  11' (pen.), 41' Clark  37' Gil  79' | Report | M'Vila  8' Lens  52' Pantilimon  90' | Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 35,399 Referee: Robert Madley | 
| 13 September 2015 5 | Sunderland | 0–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | Sunderland | 
| 13:30 BST | Borini  21' Jones  42' | Report | Vertonghen  16' Mason  82' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 40,303 Referee: Craig Pawson | 
| 19 September 2015 6 | AFC Bournemouth | 2–0 | Sunderland | Bournemouth | 
| 15:00 BST | Wilson  4' Ritchie  9' Gosling  80' Murray  90+5' | Report | Coates  15' Jones  24' Kaboul  43'  74' Borini  63' Toivonen  85' | Stadium: Dean Court Attendance: 11,271 Referee: Kevin Friend | 
| 26 September 2015 7 | Manchester United | 3–0 | Sunderland | Manchester | 
| 15:00 BST | Depay  45+4' Rooney  46' Mata  90' | Report | Johnson  38' Jones  50' Cattermole  85' | Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 75,328 Referee: Mike Jones | 
| 3 October 2015 8 | Sunderland | 2–2 | West Ham United | Sunderland | 
| 15:00 BST | Fletcher  10' Lens  22'  32'  56' Cattermole  43' Coates  74' | Report | Noble  2' Reid  24' Cresswell  36' Jenkinson  45+1'  72' Payet  60' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 42,932 Referee: Neil Swarbrick | 
| 17 October 2015 9 | West Bromwich Albion | 1–0 | Sunderland | West Bromwich | 
| 15:00 BST | Dawson  9' Berahino  54' Yacob  56' | Report | Pantilimon  55' Borini  84' | Stadium: The Hawthorns Attendance: 24,225 Referee: Martin Atkinson | 
| 25 October 2015 10 | Sunderland | 3–0 | Newcastle United | Sunderland | 
| 13:00 GMT | Johnson  45+3' (pen.) Jones  65' Fletcher  86' | Report | Tioté  14' Coloccini  45+1' Colback  45+3' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 47,653 Referee: Robert Madley | 
| 1 November 2015 11 | Everton | 6–2 | Sunderland | Liverpool | 
| 13:30 GMT | Deulofeu  19'  54' Koné  31', 62', 76' Stones  53' Coates  55' (o.g.) Lukaku  60' Galloway  90+1' | Report | Defoe  18'  45+4' Fletcher  50' Rodwell  58' | Stadium: Goodison Park Attendance: 36,617 Referee: Andre Marriner | 
| 7 November 2015 12 | Sunderland | 0–1 | Southampton | Sunderland | 
| 15:00 GMT | Johnson  44' | Report | Mané  12' Tadić  69' (pen.) Bertrand  75' Pellè  90' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 41,781 Referee: Mike Jones | 
| 23 November 2015 13 | Crystal Palace | 0–1 | Sunderland | London | 
| 20:00 GMT | Dann  66' | Report | Jones  53' M'Vila  67' Defoe  57'  80' | Stadium: Selhurst Park Attendance: 24,361 Referee: Martin Atkinson | 
| 28 November 2015 14 | Sunderland | 2–0 | Stoke City | Sunderland | 
| 15:00 GMT | van Aanholt  82' Watmore  84' | Report | Adam  33' Shawcross  42'  47' Pieters  81' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 41,516 Referee: Mike Dean | 
| 5 December 2015 15 | Arsenal | 3–1 | Sunderland | London | 
| 15:00 GMT | Campbell  33' Koscielny  44' Giroud  63' Ramsey  90+3' | Report | Giroud  45' (o.g.) Yedlin  80' | Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,937 Referee: Robert Madley | 
| 12 December 2015 16 | Sunderland | 0–1 | Watford | Sunderland | 
| 15:00 GMT | Rodwell  60' | Report | Ighalo  4' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 43,989 Referee: Graham Scott | 
| 19 December 2015 17 | Chelsea | 3–1 | Sunderland | London | 
| 15:00 GMT | Ivanović  5' Pedro  13' Oscar  50' (pen.) Matić  88' | Report | Pantilimon  48' Borini  53' Rodwell  62' O'Shea  89' | Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 41,562 Referee: Roger East | 
| 26 December 2015 18 | Manchester City | 4–1 | Sunderland | Manchester | 
| 15:00 GMT | Sterling  4',  12' Touré  17' Bony  22' De Bruyne  54' | Report | Jones  36' Borini  59' | Stadium: Etihad Stadium Attendance: 54,523 Referee: Anthony Taylor | 
| 30 December 2015 19 | Sunderland | 0–1 | Liverpool | Sunderland | 
| 19:45 GMT | Lens  86' | Report | Benteke  19'  46' Can  58' Moreno  77' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 45,765 Referee: Kevin Friend | 
| 2 January 2016 20 | Sunderland | 3–1 | Aston Villa | Sunderland | 
| 15:00 GMT | Brown  26' Richards  30' (o.g.) Borini  33' Defoe  72', 90+2' Cattermole  90+5' | Report | Hutton  43' Gil  63'  87' Traoré  69' Gestede  90+5' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 41,535 Referee: Craig Pawson | 
| 13 January 2016 21 | Swansea City | 2–4 | Sunderland | Swansea | 
| 19:45 GMT | Sigurðsson  21' (pen.) Naughton  37' Ayew  40' | Report | Defoe  3', 61', 85' Fernández  49' (o.g.) van Aanholt  79' Mannone  67' | Stadium: Liberty Stadium Attendance: 20,140 Referee: Graham Scott | 
| 16 January 2016 22 | Tottenham Hotspur | 4–1 | Sunderland | London | 
| 12:45 GMT | Eriksen  42', 67' Dembélé  60' Kane  79' (pen.) | Report | van Aanholt  40' Cattermole  46' Johnson  55' | Stadium: White Hart Lane Attendance: 35,854 Referee: Mike Dean | 
| 23 January 2016 23 | Sunderland | 1–1 | AFC Bournemouth | Sunderland | 
| 15:00 GMT | van Aanholt  45+1' Jones  89' | Report | Afobe  13' Surman  18' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 41,367 Referee: Roger East | 
| 2 February 2016 24 | Sunderland | 0–1 | Manchester City | Sunderland | 
| 19:45 GMT | Jones  59' | Report | Agüero  16',  90+1' Otamendi  80' Fernandinho  90+4' Sagna  90+5' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 38,852 Referee: Stuart Attwell | 
| 6 February 2016 25 | Liverpool | 2–2 | Sunderland | Liverpool | 
| 19:45 GMT | Firmino  59' Lallana  70' Moreno  81' | Report | N'Doye  39' Johnson  82' Defoe  89' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,179 Referee: Robert Madley | 
| 13 February 2016 26 | Sunderland | 2–1 | Manchester United | Sunderland | 
| 12:45 GMT | Khazri  3' Yedlin  38' O'Shea  45+1' de Gea  82' (o.g.) | Report | Martial  39' Rooney  46' Mata  58' Carrick  59' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 41,687 Referee: Andre Marriner | 
| 27 February 2016 27 | West Ham United | 1–0 | Sunderland | London | 
| 12:45 GMT | Antonio  30' Byram  71' | Report | Stadium: Boleyn Ground Attendance: 34,946 Referee: Mike Dean | 
| 1 March 2016 28 | Sunderland | 2–2 | Crystal Palace | Sunderland | 
| 19:45 GMT | Rodwell  16' N'Doye  36' Borini  90' | Report | Dann  45+1' Wickham  61', 67' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 39,795 Referee: Anthony Taylor | 
| 5 March 2016 29 | Southampton | 1–1 | Sunderland | Southampton | 
| 15:00 GMT | Bertrand  8' Fonte  79' van Dijk  90+3' | Report | Khazri  11' Defoe  85' | Stadium: St Mary's Stadium Attendance: 31,458 Referee: Neil Swarbrick | 
| 20 March 2016 30 | Newcastle United | 1–1 | Sunderland | Newcastle upon Tyne | 
| 14:30 GMT | Colback  18' Janmaat  36' Shelvey  52' Mitrovic  83'  84' | Report | Defoe  44' Mannone  90' | Stadium: St James' Park Attendance: 52,311 Referee: Martin Atkinson | 
| 2 April 2016 31 | Sunderland | 0–0 | West Bromwich Albion | Sunderland | 
| 15:00 BST | Kaboul  18' | Report | Gardner  47' Evans  88' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 45,144 Referee: Roger East | 
| 10 April 2016 32 | Sunderland | 0–2 | Leicester City | Sunderland | 
| 13:30 BST | Borini  21' | Report | Fuchs  30' Vardy  66', 90+5' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 46,531 Referee: Anthony Taylor | 
| 16 April 2016 33 | Norwich City | 0–3 | Sunderland | Norwich | 
| 12:45 BST | Wisdom  40' Olsson  59' | Report | Khazri  32' Borini  41' (pen.) Defoe  53' Cattermole  58' Watmore  90+1' | Stadium: Carrow Road Attendance: 27,117 Referee: Andre Marriner | 
| 24 April 2016 34 | Sunderland | 0–0 | Arsenal | Sunderland | 
| 14:05 BST | Borini  58' Khazri  90+3' | Report | Bellerín  49' Elneny  76' Koscielny  90+2' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 45,420 Referee: Mike Dean | 
| 30 April 2016 35 | Stoke City | 1–1 | Sunderland | Stoke-on-Trent | 
| 15:00 BST | Arnautović  50' Adam  75' Imbula  83' | Report | N'Doye  79' Larsson  90' Defoe  90' (pen.) | Stadium: Britannia Stadium Attendance: 27,667 Referee: Craig Pawson | 
| 7 May 2016 36 | Sunderland | 3–2 | Chelsea | Sunderland | 
| 15:00 BST | Khazri  41' Cattermole  52' Borini  67' Defoe  70'  70' Kaboul  87' Larsson  88' | Report | Cahill  1' Costa  14' Matić  45+3' Terry  87'  90+5' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 47,050 Referee: Mike Jones | 
| 11 May 2016 37 | Sunderland | 3–0 | Everton | Sunderland | 
| 19:45 BST | van Aanholt  38' Koné  42', 55' Cattermole  67' | Report | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 46,454 Referee: Anthony Taylor | 
| 15 May 2016 38 | Watford | 2–2 | Sunderland | Watford | 
| 15:00 BST | Prödl  48' Deeney  61' (pen.) Guedioura  80' | Report | Rodwell  39' Lens  51' | Stadium: Vicarage Road Attendance: 21,012 Referee: Kevin Friend | 
Football League Cup
| 25 August 2015 Second round | Sunderland | 6–3 | Exeter City | Sunderland | 
| 19:45 BST | Rodwell  12', 64' Defoe  16', 39', 87' Watmore  78' | Report | Oyeleke  19' Wheeler  31' McCready  43' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 14,360 Referee: Stuart Attwell | 
| 22 September 2015 Third round | Sunderland | 1–4 | Manchester City | Sunderland | 
| 19:45 BST | Rodwell  15' Coates  45+1' Toivonen  83' | Report | Agüero  9' (pen.) De Bruyne  25' Mannone  33' (o.g.) Sterling  36' Demichelis  57' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 21,644 Referee: Roger East | 
FA Cup
| 9 January 2016 Third round | Arsenal | 3–1 | Sunderland | London | 
| 15:00 GMT | Campbell  25' Ramsey  72' Giroud  75' Gabriel  90+3' | Report | Lens  17' | Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,349 Referee: Martin Atkinson | 
Statistics
Appearances and goals
- As of 15 May 2016
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Premier League | FA Cup | League Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||||
| 2 | DF |  ENG | Billy Jones | 25 | 1 | 23+1 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3 | DF |  NED | Patrick van Aanholt | 36 | 4 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 5 | DF |  ENG | Wes Brown | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 6 | MF |  ENG | Lee Cattermole | 34 | 0 | 27+4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | ||
| 7 | MF |  SWE | Sebastian Larsson | 19 | 0 | 6+12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 8 | MF |  ENG | Jack Rodwell | 24 | 3 | 9+13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 9 | FW |  ITA | Fabio Borini | 27 | 5 | 22+4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 10 | FW |  SEN | Dame N'Doye | 11 | 1 | 5+6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 12 | DF |  WAL | Adam Matthews | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 13 | GK |  ENG | Jordan Pickford | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 15 | DF |  FRA | Younès Kaboul | 23 | 0 | 22+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 16 | DF |  EIR | John O'Shea | 31 | 0 | 23+5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 17 | MF |  NED | Jeremain Lens | 22 | 4 | 14+6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 18 | FW |  ENG | Jermain Defoe | 34 | 18 | 28+5 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 20 | MF |  SWE | Ola Toivonen | 14 | 1 | 9+3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 21 | MF |  FRA | Yann M'Vila | 40 | 1 | 36+1 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 22 | MF |  TUN | Wahbi Khazri | 14 | 2 | 13+1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 | DF |  CIV | Lamine Koné | 15 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | DF |  USA | DeAndre Yedlin | 25 | 0 | 21+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 25 | GK |  ITA | Vito Mannone | 20 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 27 | DF |  GER | Jan Kirchhoff | 15 | 0 | 14+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 29 | DF |  FRA | Valentin Roberge | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 34 | MF |  ENG | Thomas Robson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 37 | MF |  ENG | Rees Greenwood | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 39 | MF |  ENG | George Honeyman | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 41 | FW |  ENG | Duncan Watmore | 25 | 4 | 7+16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 1 | ||
| 46 | FW |  USA | Lynden Gooch | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | ||
| Players out on loan: | |||||||||||||
| 4 | MF |  SCO | Liam Bridcutt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 14 | MF |  ESP | Jordi Gómez | 6 | 0 | 5+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 19 | FW |  ENG | Danny Graham | 12 | 0 | 4+6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 22 | DF |  URU | Sebastián Coates | 19 | 0 | 14+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 23 | MF |  ITA | Emanuele Giaccherini | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 26 | FW |  SCO | Steven Fletcher | 18 | 4 | 11+5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | ||
| 27 | DF |  ARG | Santiago Vergini | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 28 | MF |  GRE | Charalampos Mavrias | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 30 | MF |  ENG | Will Buckley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Players no longer with club: | |||||||||||||
| 1 | GK |  ROU | Costel Pantilimon | 18 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 11 | MF |  ENG | Adam Johnson | 20 | 2 | 11+8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Goalscorers
- As of 15 May 2016

| Rank | No. | Nat. | Name | Premier League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 |  | Jermain Defoe | 15 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 
| 2 | 9 |  | Fabio Borini | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 
| 3 | 3 |  | Patrick van Aanholt | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 
| 17 |  | Jeremain Lens | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| 26 |  | Steven Fletcher | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 41 |  | Duncan Watmore | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 7 | 8 |  | Jack Rodwell | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 
| 8 | 11 |  | Adam Johnson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 
| 22 |  | Wahbi Khazri | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 23 |  | Lamine Koné | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 11 | 2 |  | Billy Jones | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 
| 10 |  | Dame N'Doye | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 20 |  | Ola Toivonen | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 21 |  | Yann M'Vila | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Own Goals | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |||
| Total | 44 | 1 | 7 | 52 | |||
Clean Sheets
Includes all competitive matches. The list is sorted alphabetically by surname when total clean sheets are equal.
- Correct as of match played on 11 May 2016
| No. | Nat. | Player | Matches Played | Clean Sheet % | Premier League | FA Cup | League Cup | TOTAL | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 |  | Vito Mannone | 20 | 20% | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 
| 1 |  | Costel Pantilimon | 18 | 17% | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 
| 13 |  | Jordan Pickford | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Totals | 40 | 18% | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
Disciplinary record
- As of 11 May 2016
| No. | Pos. | Name | Premier League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |    |  |  |    |  |  |    |  |  |    |  | |||
| 1 | GK | Costel Pantilimon | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2 | DF | Billy Jones | 8 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 3 | DF | Patrick van Aanholt | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 5 | DF | Wes Brown | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 6 | MF | Lee Cattermole | 8 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 7 | MF | Sebastian Larsson | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 8 | MF | Jack Rodwell | 5 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||
| 9 | FW | Fabio Borini | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 10 | FW | Dame N'Doye | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 11 | MF | Adam Johnson | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 15 | DF | Younès Kaboul | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||||||||
| 16 | DF | John O'Shea | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 17 | MF | Jeremain Lens | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||||||||
| 18 | FW | Jermain Defoe | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 20 | MF | Ola Toivonen | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 20 | MF | Yann M'Vila | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 22 | DF | Sebastián Coates | 4 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
| 22 | MF | Wahbi Khazri | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 24 | DF | DeAndre Yedlin | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 25 | GK | Vito Mannone | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
| Total | 63 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 2 | 0 | ||
Overall summary
Summary

| Games played | 40 (37 Premier League, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cup) | 
| Games won | 10 (9 Premier League, 0 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) | 
| Games drawn | 11 (11 Premier League, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup) | 
| Games lost | 19 (17 Premier League, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup) | 
| Goals scored | 54 (46 Premier League, 1 FA Cup, 7 League Cup) | 
| Goals conceded | 70 (60 Premier League, 3 FA Cup, 7 League Cup) | 
| Goal difference | -16 (-14 Premier League, -2 FA Cup, 0 League Cup) | 
| Clean sheets | 7 (7 Premier League, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup) | 
| Yellow cards | 52 (50 Premier League, 0 FA Cup, 2 League Cup) | 
| Red cards | 2 (2 Premier League, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup) | 
| Worst discipline | Billy Jones (8  , 0  ) | 
| Best result | 3–0 v. Newcastle United (H), 3–0 v. Everton (H) | 
| Worst result | 2–6 v. Everton (A) | 
| Most appearances | Yann M'Vila (37) | 
| Top scorer | Jermain Defoe (18) | 
Score overview
| Opposition | Home score | Away score | Double | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 0–0 | 3–1 |  | 
| Aston Villa | 3–1 | 2–2 |  | 
| Bournemouth | 1–1 | 2–0 |  | 
| Chelsea | 3–2 | 3–1 |  | 
| Crystal Palace | 2–2 | 0–1 |  | 
| Everton | 3–0 | 6–2 |  | 
| Leicester City | 0–2 | 4–2 |  | 
| Liverpool | 0–1 | 2–2 |  | 
| Manchester City | 0–1 | 4–1 |  | 
| Manchester United | 2–1 | 3–0 |  | 
| Newcastle United | 3–0 | 1-1 |  | 
| Norwich City | 1–3 | 0–3 |  | 
| Southampton | 0–1 | 1–1 |  | 
| Stoke City | 2–0 | 1–1 |  | 
| Swansea City | 1–1 | 2–4 |  | 
| Tottenham Hotspur | 0–1 | 4–1 |  | 
| Watford | 0–1 | 2–2 |  | 
| West Bromwich Albion | 0–0 | 1–0 |  | 
| West Ham United | 2–2 | 0–1 |  | 
References
- ↑ "History". Statto.
- ↑ "Brown pens new deal". Sunderland A.F.C. 12 June 2015.
- ↑ "Cattermole pens new deal". Sunerland A.F.C. 2 July 2015.
- ↑ "Watmore signs new contract". Sunerland A.F.C. 22 November 2015.
- ↑ "Pickford pens new deal". Sunerland A.F.C. 27 January 2016.
- ↑ "Sunderland hands Honeyman a one year extension". Chronicle Live. 14 April 2016.
- ↑ "Lynden Gooch signs new 3 year". USA Today. 21 April 2016.
- ↑ "Sunderland sign Sebastian Coates from Liverpool on four-year deal". ESPN. 1 July 2015.
- ↑ "Sunderland sign Welsh international". Sunderland A.F.C. 3 July 2015.
- ↑ "SAFC capture Lens".
- ↑ "Black Cats sign Kaboul".
- ↑ "Borini returns to Sunderland". Sunderland AFC. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ↑ "Black Cats Sign Kirchhoff". Sunderland AFC. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ↑ "Sunderland sign Steve Harper". Sunderland AFC. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
- ↑ "Lamine Kone signs for Sunderland". Sunderland AFC. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ "Black Cats sign Wahbi Khazri". Sunderland A.F.C. 30 January 2016.
- ↑ "Sunderland sign Eboue". Sunderland A.F.C. 9 March 2016.
- ↑ "Yann M'Vila signs".
- ↑ "Sunderland sign Ola Toivonen".
- ↑ "Deadline-day move completed". Sunderland AFC. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ↑ "SAFC - NDoye signs". safc.com. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
- ↑ "El-Hadji Ba becomes Charlton's second summer signing". Charlton Athletic F.C. 29 June 2015. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
- ↑ "Retained and released lists submitted by Premier League clubs". Premier League. 10 June 2015. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "Wickham joins Palace".
- ↑ "OFFICIAL: Keeper Pantilimon Joins Hornets". Watford F.C. 19 January 2016. Archived from the original on 19 January 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- ↑ "Club Statement".
- ↑ "Contract Terminated Eboue".
- ↑ "Contract Terminated Roberge".
- ↑ "Vergini loaned to Spanish club". Sunderland AFC. 16 July 2015.
- ↑ "Pickford joins Preston". Sunderland AFC. 31 July 2015.
- ↑ "Giaccherini heads out on loan". Sunderland AFC. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ↑ "Buckley joins Leeds on loan". BBC Sport. 2 October 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- ↑ "Buckley signs 1 month loan deal". BBC Sport. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ↑ "Bridcutt joins Leeds". Sunderland AFC. 2 October 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- ↑ "Leeds extends Bridcutt's loan deal". BBC Sport. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- ↑ "Danny Graham joins Blackburn on loan". BBC. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ↑ "Gooch joins Doncaster on 1 month deal". BBC. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ↑ "Gooch extends loan deal". South Yorkshire. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
- ↑ "Mavrias heads to Germany". Sunderland AFC. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ "Coates heads out on loan". Sunderland AFC. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
- ↑ "Gomez joins Blackburn".
- ↑ "Fletcher join Marseille".
- ↑ "Matthews completes loan deal".
- ↑ "Black Cats to face Darlington". Sunderland AFC. 26 May 2015.
- ↑ "Black Cats to make Keepmoat trip". Sunderland AFC. 26 May 2015.
- ↑ "Black Cats head to North America". Sunderland AFC. 5 June 2015.
- ↑ "Black Cats travel to Germany". Sunderland AFC. 23 June 2015.
- ↑ "Premier League – Handbook Season 2015/16" (PDF). Premier League. pp. 96–97. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- ↑ "Fixtures announced". Sunderland AFC. 17 June 2015.














