Phil Smith: I watched Sunderland’s impressive cup win and these were my key conclusions

Sunderland advanced to the Carabao Cup quarter-final after securing a 3-2 victory over Brentford at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday. Igor Thiago scored a late goal for Brentford, but Sunderland held on to book a December clash against Crystal Palace. Journalist Phil Smith highlighted that the victory demonstrated the growing depth of Sunderland's squad under manager Régis Le Bris against a side full of Premier League experience.

Smith argued that youngsters Jules Ahoka and Jocelin Ta Bi excelled, presenting Le Bris with positive selection dilemmas moving forward. Defensive pair Omar Alderete and Kevin Danso also produced reassuring, steady performances following prior defensive struggles.