Sunderland 3-2 Brentford: Three goals in 13 minutes send the Black Cats into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals

For 25 minutes this was Brentford's game. Sky Sports reports that the visitors hit the post and the bar and had a shot cleared off the line while it was still 0-0 at the Stadium of Light. Then Sunderland scored three times in 13 minutes, and the Carabao Cup fourth-round tie was effectively decided before half-time.

Chemsdine Talbi opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Three minutes later Tymur Tutierov made it 2-0, and Malick Fofana headed in the third in the 39th. Jocelin Ta Bi is credited with the assist on the second and third goals and, according to Sky, was involved in all three. Callum Wilson pulled one back at 42', but it was the only reply Brentford managed until the very end.

That end was nervous. Igor Thiago scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time, with Mathias Jensen credited with the assist, and Brentford spent what was left of the added time looking for a leveller. They did not find one.

Goal by goal

1. 26' — Chemsdine Talbi (Sunderland) 1-0
2. 29' — Tymur Tutierov (Sunderland), assisted by Jocelin Ta Bi, 2-0
3. 39' — Malick Fofana (Sunderland), header, assisted by Jocelin Ta Bi, 3-0
4. 42' — Callum Wilson (Brentford), assisted by Vitaly Janelt, 3-1
5. 90+4' — Igor Thiago (Brentford), assisted by Mathias Jensen, 3-2

Yellow cards went to Kevin Schade (74'), Vitaly Janelt (83') and Jannik Schuster (85') for Brentford, and to Chris Rigg (89') for Sunderland.

Line-ups

Sunderland (4-4-2): Melker Ellborg; Omar Alderete, Kevin Danso, Dayann Methalie, Alan Browne; Jules Ahoka, Habib Diarra, Malick Fofana, Jocelin Ta Bi; Chemsdine Talbi, Tymur Tutierov. Substitutes used: Thomas Meunier, Chris Rigg, Luke O'Nien, Tom Proctor, Felix Scott.

Brentford (4-4-2): Hákon Valdimarsson; Nathan Collins, Jannik Schuster, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Michael Kayode; Vitaly Janelt, Mamadou Sangare, Mikkel Damsgaard, Jaidon Anthony; Callum Wilson, Igor Thiago. Substitutes used: Dango Ouattara, Kevin Schade, Kristoffer Ajer, Aaron Hickey, Mathias Jensen.

Brentford had the ball, Sunderland had the goals

The numbers tell the story of a side that took its chances. Brentford had two-thirds of the possession and won five corners to none, yet they trailed 3-0 until Wilson's goal just before the break. They also committed 18 fouls to Sunderland's eight.

Twelve minutes of madness

Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris pointed to the response after a slow start: "The win can be really powerful because we had to show character and we delivered." Brentford's Keith Andrews, asked about the spell that cost his side the tie, said: "You can't describe those 12 minutes of madness."

The road to the fourth round

Both clubs came into the cup at the third round. Sunderland beat Hull City 1-0 at home on 8 September, with Talbi scoring the only goal in the 71st minute. Brentford won 2-1 at Reading a week later, with Wilson scoring in the third minute. So Talbi and Wilson, who both scored again here, have now each scored in both of their side's cup ties this season.

The two sides had also met earlier in the season in the league. Brentford and Sunderland drew 1-1 at Brentford on 5 September, when Janelt scored the opener and Enzo Le Fée's late penalty levelled it. In the cup, Sunderland got the winner.

What's next

Sunderland go into the quarter-finals, where they travel to Crystal Palace on Wednesday 16 December 2026 (19:30 kick-off). The other quarter-finals are Manchester City against Bradford City, Liverpool against AFC Bournemouth, and Fleetwood Town against Everton. Brentford's cup run is over, and their attention goes back to the Premier League.