QPR 0-0 Sunderland: FLW report as points shared after Bellingham sees red | OneFootball

FLW report live from Loftus Road

10-player Sunderland held on for a hard-fought point away at Championship strugglers QPR to leave their lead at the top of the table at three points.

The R's were levels above their 23rd-place standing and enjoyed the better of the chances even before Jobe Bellingham's 58th-minute red card but could not make the most of their numerical advantage and were forced to settle for a third draw in a row.

Things could well have been different had Zan Celar not spurned a golden opportunity early on but there was enough from the hosts' performance to show why the West London club are sticking by Marti Cifuentes despite a poor start to the season.

Though the Black Cats struggled to hit the high standards they've set for themselves in the opening months of 2024/25, they did have dangerous moments of their own and defended resolutely to ensure the points were shared and maintain their healthy lead at the top of the Championship.

QPR 0-0 Sunderland

QPR may have been 19 points and 23 places below league leaders Sunderland at kick-off but they did not look it in the opening exchanges as Cifuentes' side flew out of the blocks and could've been a goal to the good inside eight minutes.

A sliding Paul Smyth was within inches of converting Ilias Chair's curling cross and then a hacked clearance denied the latter an opportunity of his own before Celar missed from inside the six-yard box – directing Smyth's low cross wide after failing to sort out his feet.

The Black Cats were not kept quiet for long, however, as Trai Hume set Wilson Isidor through in the 14th minute – with the in-form forward arrowing a first-time shot just wide of Paul Nardi's right-hand post.

Five minutes later, Dan Neil went even closer by rattling the same upright with a fizzing half-volley from a corner. Isidor was first to the rebound but his looping effort was claimed by Nardi.

Lots has been made of the impressive exploits of Neil and Bellingham in Sunderland's midfield this term but R's summer signings Jonathan Varane and Nicholas Madsen overshadowed them through 30 minutes. Varane was a bullying presence while the Dane was constantly popping up in pockets of space and sliding delicious balls through to his attacking colleagues.

Led by that dynamic duo, Cifuentes' side finished the half the stronger and will have been disappointed not to have found the opener. Steve Cook's powerful header went straight at a grateful Simon Moore while Jimmy Dunne could not get enough on his glancing effort.

Regis Le Bris will have wanted to see a reaction from his players and though he got one, as the league leaders pushed up high in the opening minutes of the second period and Patrick Roberts bent a strike just wide, it proved to be shortlived.

Sunderland again struggled to keep control of a scrappy contest as the half wore on with chances at both ends. Chair whipped a free-kick around the wall but too high and wide to trouble Moore while not long after, Isidor sliced a volley into the away end.

The balance shifted in QPR's favour just before the hour when Bellingham was sent off. The midfielder chased his heavy touch after losing possession and caught Celar on his ankle with a studs-up challenge so can have no real complaints about seeing red.

The question was whether the R's – the joint-second lowest scorers in the Championship – could make their advantage count against the second tier's pacesetters.

Two quickfire opportunities, a Celar shot and a Dunne header, within five minutes of Bellingham's exit suggested the hosts fancied their chances but Sunderland are top for a reason and dug in to make things difficult for the hosts.

There was an accepting groan from the Loftus Road faithful when Varane sent his edge-of-the-box strike over the top midway through the three minutes of stoppage time but the West Londoners can take plenty of heart from an impressive display even if it didn't deliver the win they're so desperate for.

As for the visitors, they keep marching on at the top of the table and turn their attention to Wednesday's trip to Preston North End.

Player ratings

QPR

Paul Nardi - 6

Jimmy Dunne - 7

Steve Cook - 7

Sam Field - 7

Harrison Ashby - 6 (Hevertton Santos (43) - 6)

Kieran Morgan - 7

Nicholas Madsen - 7 (Lucas Andersen (81) - 6)

Jonathan Varane - 8

Paul Smyth - 7 (Koki Saito (68) - 6)

Ilias Chair - 6

Zan Celar - 5

Unused subs: Nathan Shepperd, Elijah Dixon-Bonner, Rayan Kolli, Daniel Bennie, Alfie Lloyd, Alex Aoraha

Sunderland

Simon Moore - 6

Trai Hume - 7

Luke O'Nien - 7

Chris Mepham - 7

Dennis Cirkin - 6

Dan Neil - 6

Jobe Bellingham - 4

Patrick Roberts - 6

Alan Browne - 6

Romaine Mundle - 5 (Aaron Connolly (64) - 6)

Wilson Isidor - 6 (Leo Hjelde (91) - N/A)

Unused subs: Blondy Noukeu, Eliezer Mayenda, Nazariy Rusyn, Milan Aleksic, Tom Watson, Zak Johnson, Harrison Jones

Marti Cifuentes post-match reaction

Marti Cifuentes' post-match comments will follow shortly...

Asked whether he was frustrated not to win the game, Cifuentes said: "Yes, definitely. That is a little bit the mood in the changing room but at the same time, I told the guys that in the situation we're in, it's very easy to look just at the negatives in each game, in each performance. My job is to try to keep balance. There is a way of looking at today's game as we lost two points, because I think the performance in the first 60 minutes was going in that direction to achieve three points, and then after the red card perhaps it seems easy.

"I knew the game would be different after that. Sunderland are a team that are doing really well and they defend in low blocks. You know how it is, sometimes you just find a way to defend for 30 minutes and survive.

"That's one way to look at the game, the other is that today I saw a team that played with big personality."

He added: "I think that there are a lot of positives so it is my job to make sure we reflect on that. Three games unbeaten, two clean sheets against two very good teams. We are missing edges, we are missing the victories, I'm aware of that, but look at the pros and trust in what we are doing."

Regis Le Bris post-match reaction

Speaking to the press after the game, the Sunderland boss said: "It was a tough game, away, because this league is very competitive and during the first half, we had some good periods when we dominated, dominated the ball and created chances as well but we struggled against the way they mixed up their play with different choices. Sometimes it was a back three, back four, short passes, long passes, direct play. So it wasn't easy to find the right references

"It was a balanced first half. We could've played better but during halftime we found some details to solve the problem. The first part of the second half was better but after 15 minutes, we played 10 against 11. I think we kept the confidence and there was no panic in the team. It was a different scenario for us, a new scenario but we faced it with a good mindset."

Le Bris added that it was "important" for his side to show they could battle hard and earn points in games when they're not at their best.

"It's important. Even if we can be frustrated because we feel that we can play better football but to be competitive in this league, you have to face many, many games and a variety of style of play. We have to master all phases of the game and today was a good exercise for us."