Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Sunderland: Eliezer Mayenda gives Black Cats win

Sunderland reignited their hopes for direct promotion with a victory over Sheffield Wednesday, fueled by a brace from Eliezer Mayenda. After consecutive losses to Leeds United and Hull City, the Black Cats desperately needed these three points to solidify their position.

In the first half, Mayenda's goal was controversial, as he appeared to control the ball with his arm before scoring, giving Sunderland the lead. However, Sheffield Wednesday's Callum Paterson equalized with a header shortly after the start of the second half. Subsequently, 19-year-old Spanish forward Mayenda headed in another goal, securing the victory for Sunderland, filling in for the team's top scorer, Wilson Isidor.

Currently, Sunderland remains in fourth place, five points behind second-placed Sheffield United, but they have played one game more. Sheffield Wednesday, on the other hand, suffered their third consecutive defeat, ranking 13th, six points away from the promotion play-off zone, and their hopes of reaching the top six are beginning to fade.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Röhl told BBC Radio, "This game showed the microcosm of the last few weeks, two big injuries at key moments, giving away easy goals, missing a lot of chances, and twice not getting the right decision. At the moment, it's really hard to take because I see how much my players put in." He added, "The first goal was bad, but the second goal was worse, too easy. Now, we destroy all the effort with a simple mistake, and that's hard for the team."

Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris told BBC Newcastle Radio, "It was important to inject energy into the team, even if it's not easy to play when the pitch is not in good condition. It was more about energy, commitment, teamwork and resilience. Even in the game when we were pegged back, it was important to stay together and find a way to score, so it's good news for us." He also stated, "Wilson has been brilliant this season, definitely one of the best strikers in the league. But we need two or three strikers to be competitive in this league, so maybe it's a good time for Wilson to have a rest, and Eliezer was ready."