Article by Tudor Belivacă – Published on Sunday, 08 March 2026, 18:45 / Updated on Sunday, 08 March 2026 18:46
Sunderland, one of the revelations of this Premier League season, were surprisingly knocked out of the FA Cup by League 3 bottom-placed Port Vale 1-0.
Port Vale, a team where the Romanian Dennis Politic played in the past, managed to qualify for the quarterfinals of the FA Cup after Ben Waine scored in the 28th minute of the game. The League 3 side had failed to qualify for this stage of the competition since 1954 and it is only the second time they have achieved the feat.
FA Cup surprise: Port Vale beat Sunderland and go into the 'quarters'
Those from Port Vale have shown an efficiency of great days in front of the defense of the Premier League. Waine scored the League 3 outfit's only shot on target. The Australian took advantage of a fumble in the visitors' box and headed home, leaving Ellborg speechless.
Sunderland did not play the Cup match with the reserves, and even the team was very similar to the first 11 lined up in the championship in the previous stage, the victory with Leeds, score 1-0: Ellborg – Geertruida, Ballard, Alderete, O'Nien – Diarra, Le Fee – Angulo, Rigg, Talbi – Mayenda (in the championship, Sadiki and Hume played instead of Rigg and Talbi).
Sunderland, newly promoted this season in the first tier of England, started the season very well and were at the top of the table for a long time, but then the team's form started to decline. Regis Le Bris' side are currently 11th in the Premier League, level with Bournemouth in 9th place, but with a lower goal difference.
Port Vale do not have a good situation in League One, the English third tier. They are in last place with only 27 points in 32 games played. Northampton, the team in penultimate place, has 35 points from 26 matches. Port Vale still has 14 games to play until the end of the season, and saving from relegation is not really an impossible mission.
VIDEO. Summary of the match Port Vale – Sunderland 1-0
