Jobe Bellingham seals Sunderland comeback win over 10-man Norwich
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It was the sort of high calibre, technically demanding, goal that Jude Bellingham would have treasured scoring for Real Madrid or England but, on a windy Wearside afternoon the executioner was his young brother, Jobe. Aged just 19, Jobe Bellingham is proving a key component of Sunderland’s promotion push and his winner here kept Régis Le Bris’s bold, exciting, young side fourth and firmly in the hunt for promotion from the Championship.
Not that overcoming a mid-table Norwich side who had José Córdoba sent off moments before Bellingham’s goal was exactly straightforward in an always edgy game, punctuated by 10 yellow cards and all sorts of on-pitch feuds. Le Bris’s family had flown in from France to spend the festive season in north East England, allowing his son and daughter to watch a live match at the Stadium of Light for the first time.
Sunderland had still to lose a second tier match here this season and, before kick off Bellingham, impressive in midfield throughout, had talked about “building a fortress on Wearside”. As a capriciously gusty wind sent pieces of plastic blowing all over the pitch, Norwich initially threatened to blow that citadel down. Johannes Hoff Thorup’s side had arrived without a win in their previous three games but, following a couple of fine saves from Anthony Patterson in the home goal, Sunderland had no answer to a well choreographed visiting corner routine that concluded with Anis Ben Slimane connecting with a rebound and lashing the ball beyond Patterson from close range.