VIDEO: How Sunderland relentlessly ran rings around ten-men QPR

Sunderland asserted their authority again in the Championship, with QPR their latest victims. Here is how it was done.

SAFC Highlights | Sep 18, 2023

VIDEO: How Sunderland relentlessly ran rings around ten-men QPR /

With the International break done it was back to the League to see if the Lads could continue in the fashion they mauled Southampton.

And so Sunderland headed to the capital to meet an old adversary in Gareth Ainsworth and a Queens Park Rangers team who sat bottom of the Field Tilt table with some of the least aggressive stats in the division in terms of goal threat.

With Rangers having only one win in the previous 16 at Loftus Road and Sunderland sporting the second best XG in the division, the expectation was that the Super Hoops were there for the taking.

Sunderland gave a debut to Mason Burstow in place of an injured Bradley Dack and Niall Huggins came in for Dennis Cirkin who pulled a hamstring midweek. Other than that, everyone else kept their place.

True to form, QPR looked passive and thumped balls up field for Sinclair Armstrong to chase on the counter, but there was little reward for him.

An early one shot wonder from Kenneth Paal crept in the far corner from a set piece, but it was against the run of play and as Sunderland increasingly dominated the game Rangers players got frustrated.

Then, a flailing Jack Colback, fresh from signing a two year deal kicking shins for QPR, caught Jobe Bellingham with a hideous tackle and was rightly sent off.

From there it was just a matter of time. Gareth Ainsworth lamely instructed his players to try and hold on for the remaining 70 minutes but Sunderland pressed relentlessly.

As the game wore on Mowbray simply ratcheted up the pressure by introducing another attacking midfielder, then another and then a striker, until eventually, QPR folded.

So check out the video ‘Running Rings Round the Super Hoops’ and enjoy seeing just how Tony Mowbray buried the Supine Hoops and left the Smoke with all three points.

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