Three goals in 13 first-half minutes fired Sunderland into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals as Regis Le Bris's much-changed side beat Brentford 3-2 at the Stadium of Light, with 21-year-old Jocelin Ta Bi having a hand in every goal.
Sunderland changed their entire starting line-up from Sunday's Premier League game against Leeds, and for 25 minutes it looked like a gamble that would backfire. Brentford, with eight changes of their own, dominated the start. Captain Nathan Collins directed a free header straight at Melker Ellborg, Igor Thiago poked a low El Hadji Malick Diouf cross narrowly wide, and Ellborg then produced a stunning flying save to turn away a Mamadou Sangare volley.
The visitors somehow still failed to score in one extraordinary move on 17 minutes: Jannik Schuster's header crashed against the bar and Michael Kayode's follow-up hit the post, as reported by Sky Sports. It was the moment the tie turned — Brentford had done everything except score, and a young Sunderland side that had been pinned back suddenly believed.
Ta Bi tears Brentford apart
The visitors were made to pay from the 26th minute. Jules Ahoka drove forward on the counter and found Ta Bi, whose shot was half-saved before Chemsdine Talbi tapped home on the goal line. Three minutes later Ta Bi danced into the box and pulled the ball back for Timur Tutierov to sidefoot in a second.
Ten minutes after that it was three, Ta Bi's excellent cross picking out Malick Fofana at the far post to power home a header. Callum Wilson bundled one back for Brentford just before the break, to boos from home fans for his Newcastle connections, but the damage was done.
Bees leave it too late
Wilson's goal had come from Vitaly Janelt's scuffed shot falling kindly for him inside the box, and it should have been the start of a comeback. Instead Sunderland settled, defended their box with discipline and were content to protect what they had, while Brentford, whose own report is on the Brentford website, ran out of ideas for long spells of the second half.
Only in the fourth minute of added time did the Bees finally find a second, Igor Thiago heading in as Ellborg failed to deal with the ball, to set up a frantic finish. It was too late. Sunderland held on to reach the last eight for the first time in five years, since they were a League One side — and to end a winless run stretching back to their September win over AZ Alkmaar.
So what does it mean?
The quarter-final draw sends Sunderland to Crystal Palace in December, while Brentford are left to focus on the league after a night when their early wastefulness cost them dearly. On a night when Bournemouth also marched on, Sunderland's fringe players have given Le Bris a selection headache for the right reasons — Ta Bi, with only four previous appearances since joining in January, was the outstanding player on the pitch.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This is what the Carabao Cup is for. A 21-year-old with four appearances to his name does not just win a tie, he announces himself — three assists, three different ways, in 13 minutes that decided the game. Sunderland's season needed a spark after a winless run, and their reserves just provided it. Can Ta Bi now force his way into Le Bris's Premier League side?
