Sunderland supporters will hope their super confident Black Cats team can make it three Championship wins from three today, but will know Scott Parker's Burnley are going to an almighty tough nut to crack.
Hammering in a stunning nine goals from their opening two league games to date, the Clarets will go into the clash at the Stadium of Light equally delirious on confidence, in what could be a barnstorming early season contest.
Regis Le Bris will hope Patrick Roberts continues his fine second tier form against the tricky visitors from Lancashire, to give his new side a chance to make it three stunning league victories on the spin, having been impressed by the experienced winger since taking over.
Patrick Roberts' early season form
The ex-Celtic attacker had a lot to prove coming into the 24/25 season, having really struggled last campaign to consistently deliver, with only two assists next to his name from 32 league clashes, alongside failing to find the net altogether.
Roberts already has a goal contribution tallied up from the two clashes so far though, with the Sunderland number ten a reinvigorated figure again in the XI, under Le Bris' management.
Singling out the former Lorient manager in a recent interview for his positive nature, Roberts is a man no longer shackled by last season's woes, seen in his devastating display in Sunderland's 4-0 demolition job of Sheffield Wednesday last time out.
Attempting four dribbles in the contest as a constantly tricky customer for his marker, the 27-year-old attacker also registered four strikes on James Beadle's net as a thorn in the Owls side all afternoon.
His main contribution would be to assist Dennis Cirkin's opening strike on the day, before the likes of Eliezer Mayenda took over, with the young French centre-forward bagging his first ever senior goals in the emphatic win.
The transfer saga involving Alexandre Mendy rumbling on has now taken somewhat of a back-seat, as a result of Sunderland's blistering start, with a fresh bid in and around the £2m region recently put in for the SM Caen sharp-shooter from the Black Cats.
Yet, Le Bris and Co might well not even need the added ammunition of the current Ligue 2 golden boot holder anymore, with players such as Roberts supplying chances galore to the current crop of strikers at the Black Cats, with his price-tag also above that of the wanted Frenchman's.
Roberts' transfer value in 2024
According to Football Transfers, Roberts' value now stands at a hefty £3.1m, with Sunderland still majorly benefitting from the free transfer deal that saw the former Manchester City man join the Stadium of Light ranks back in 2022.
At the peak of his game, under ex-Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray, Roberts was even described as being a "magic" talent according to the former manager, after firing in five goals and amassing seven assists across the 2022/23 season that saw the Wearside outfit enter the play-offs.
Date
Value
August 2024
£3.1m
January 2024
£5.3m
November 2023
£3.2m
March 2023
£2.2m
December 2022
£937k
January 2022
£0
Le Bris will pray he can match those numbers across this full season to come, with the potential there for him to even better this impressive output, as Sunderland aim to make the play-offs once more.
Even with Mayenda finally breaking his men's team duck, the focus remained on getting a new striker in the door, with Wilson Isidor having joined on a season-long loan deal – perhaps a wise move as opposed to lavishly forking out millions on Mendy.
Regardless of what does develop on this transfer front, Roberts will want to continue proving his worth to Sunderland's cause, after suffering a crisis in confidence last campaign.
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