Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor applies the finishing touch to sink Fulham

At the final whistle Álvaro Arbeloa provided a study in pensiveness while Régis Le Bris simply looked relieved. For protracted periods an almost palpable fear of losing formed the subtext of a match decided when two of the Sunderland manager’s ­second-half substitutes, Habib Diarra and Wilson Isidor, combined for the latter to score.

Isidor’s goal not merely supplied Sunderland with their first win of the season while leaving Arbeloa’s side pointless, but also ended his side’s 17‑year run without a Premier League home victory against Fulham.

“It wasn’t our day for sure,” said Marco Silva’s successor, whose team were confounded repeatedly by Sunderland’s outstanding central defender Nordi Mukiele.

“We need to improve many things, for sure, especially the energy and the attitude.

“It was a tough game for us. Sunderland were better for many ­minutes. It’s not easy here. If you want to come to Sunderland and play the way you want to, then you need the right mentality. We need to show more energy and fight for every ball.”

Le Bris was a little happier, ­saying: “We didn’t create enough. Fulham were well organised but we had a good balance to manage the transitions. We had to be smart. It’s a question of balancing risk and organisation.”

The tone of a cagey, risk‑averse first half dominated by Fulham’s ­cautious low block was raised, albeit sporadically, by a typically indus­trious central-midfield performance by Sunderland’s Noah Sadiki.

The visiting gameplan seemed all about ouncing on the counterattack but the Democratic Republic of the Congo international extinguished so many potential visiting fires that Fulham’s sole real chance during the opening 45 minutes involved Josh King finding himself confounded by geometry as he miscued a tightly angled opening conjured by Alex Iwobi. Otherwise the home goalkeeper, Robin Roefs, was left pretty much undisturbed.

That apart, a slightly nervous impasse endured. Despite dominating possession, Sunderland’s attacking edge proved anything but serrated, leaving Bernd Leno severely underemployed in Fulham’s goal.

It all left both Le Bris and Arbeloa with much to ponder at the interval. If the watching Sunderland owner, Kyril-Louis Dreyfus, required a reminder as to precisely why Le  Bris is so keen to sign a specialist right winger and another striker before the transfer window’s closure he received it.

Wilson Isidor salutes the fans after scoring. Photograph: Matt McNulty/Getty ImagesAt least Sunderland’s manager had the excellent Mukiele restored to his backline following injury. The former Paris Saint-Germain defender’s importance on Wearside was, not for the first time, underscored as, early in the second half his tremendous sliding challenge blocked Gonzalo García’s path to a near certain goal following Sander Berge’s stellar through pass.

“I was really impressed with Nordi and I told him this,” Le Bris said. “Nordi showed us today that he’s a great player.”

García, meanwhile, had scored twice in his first two games since joining Fulham from Real Madrid but found Sunderland’s rearguard difficult to decode. Nonetheless, ­perhaps sensing that the visitors were ­gaining a slight initiative, Le Bris made a ­double substitution.

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On came Diarra and Isidor for the hitherto largely ineffective Nilson Angulo and Brian Brobbey. Within minutes Sunderland should have been ahead after Enzo Le Fée played a beautiful, first-time ball across goal.

It seemed easier for the on-rushing Isidor to score than miss but, somehow, he ended up striking the base of a post and, in the technical area. Le Bris was left sinking to his knees in disappointment after making a premature celebratory leap as the delivery left Le Fée’s boot. “It was such a good chance,” he said. “It was such a shame.”

Poor Isidor looked mortified but redemption beckoned. Just moments later he surged onto another fabulous low dispatch across the box – from Diarra this time – and atonement arrived as his high-velocity shot whizzed past Leno.

Diarra and Isidor had succeeded in breathing new life into Sunderland’s suddenly much more dynamic press – not to mention capitalising on ­Fulham’s high defensive line – but the former’s cameo was to prove short‑lived after an injury necessitated his replacement by Chris Rigg.

No matter, he and Isidor, had already done just enough. “Habib is so, so intense,” Le Bris said. “He and Wilson changed our press, it was tactically the same just with 20-30% more energy. But the most important thing is, as we saw this afternoon, that the core of this group are very good.

“The players are all in. You can’t play at this level if you’re not all in and well connected with the project of the club. If we can add one or two signings that can help this group then we’ll do it. But I have trust and con­fidence in this squad.”

How Arbeloa must wish he could say the same.