Enzo Le Fée's Redemption in Sunderland vs Brentford Draw

Enzo Le Fée buried his penalty, then punched the air. Same end, same stadium, very different feeling.

Eight months ago at the Gtech Community Stadium, the Sunderland midfielder tried a panenka and ended up a punchline. On Saturday, with the game slipping away and the clock ticking into the 82nd minute, he went the other way: low, sure, ruthless. Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher dived the wrong way, the net bulged, and a breathless 1-1 draw felt like something far more personal for Le Fée – a small piece of redemption claimed from 12 yards.

Sunderland dominate, VAR intervenes

Regis Le Bris’ side had every right to feel this should have been more than a point. They bossed the first half, imposed themselves physically and tactically, and had Brentford hanging on.

After just eight minutes, it looked as if they had the lead their start deserved. Dan Ballard swept a clever finish into the bottom corner, only for a lengthy and contentious VAR check to rip it away. Kevin Danso, on debut, was judged offside and to have blocked Kelleher’s view. Sunderland’s celebrations died slowly, one replay at a time.

Brentford’s afternoon worsened when captain Nathan Collins limped off inside 20 minutes after a clash with Noah Sadiki. Deprived of their defensive leader, the hosts wobbled. Seconds later, Le Fée hammered a shot from 10 yards that crashed against the post with Kelleher beaten.

Sunderland sensed weakness. Thomas Meunier, raiding from deep, should have punished it but lashed a first-time effort straight at substitute goalkeeper Jannik Schuster. Granit Xhaka bossed midfield, snapping into tackles and recycling the ball, while Meunier and Nilson Angulo repeatedly surged in behind, stretching a Brentford back line that never looked settled.

By half-time, Brentford were level only through a mix of VAR fortune and sheer survival instinct.

Andrews rolls the dice – and Janelt strikes

Keith Andrews knew he had to change something. Three half-time substitutions signalled his intent, and the game flipped almost immediately.

Sunderland, so assertive before the break, suddenly had no escape route. Brentford squeezed higher, hemmed them in, and the visitors’ out-balls dried up. The pressure built, and just before the hour it finally told.

Nordi Mukiele did well initially, twisting to head away a dangerous cross, but there was no blue shirt alert to the second ball. It dropped invitingly to Vitaly Janelt, striding onto it 15 yards out. One clean, rising half-volley later, the ball flew into the top corner and Brentford had the lead their second-half surge demanded.

The hosts had chances to kill it. Keane Lewis-Potter should have done exactly that but miscued a volley into the turf and watched it loop over. Anthony then rolled the ball into the net after pinching it from goalkeeper Robin Roefs, only to be penalised for taking it out of the Sunderland keeper’s hands.

Those missed chances would come back to haunt them.

Penalty drama and Le Fée’s redemption

Sunderland clung on as Brentford pressed for the second goal. Kelleher had to be sharp at the other end, plunging low to his right to push away a Wilson Isidor free-kick and preserve the home lead.

Then came the twist.

With eight minutes left, Isidor drove into the box and went down under the attention of Lewis-Potter, who had his hands on the Sunderland forward. The contact was there, the fall dramatic. The penalty award felt generous to many inside the ground, but the decision stood.

Le Fée stepped up with all the baggage of that failed panenka still attached to this stadium. No tricks this time. He sent Kelleher the wrong way, drilled his spot-kick home, and turned away to celebrate what was more than just an equaliser.

For Brentford, it was two points dropped after a transformed second half. For Sunderland, it was a point wrestled back through resilience and a midfielder refusing to let the Gtech define him by one humiliating miss.

The next time Le Fée walks out here, will anyone still be talking about that panenka?