CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND-UP: Wayne Rooney is left relieved as nine-man Plymouth hang on - while Romaine Mundle sends Sunderland to summit

Eyebrows were raised when Sunderland appointed Regis Le Bris as manager in June, but on this early evidence something good is stirring on Wearside.

This victory, in front of another ecstatic 40,000 crowd, left the Mackems tasting the rarefied air at the Championship summit.

But it went deeper. The energy in the stands, the desire on the pitch and the potential in a talented young side were in plentiful supply as the home fans chanted dreamily about going up to the Premier League.

When Le Bris was told that Sunderland had set a club record —three straight wins at the start of a season without conceding a goal — the Frenchman looked surprised. 'That's good,' he said.

'It's good for our confidence, the dynamic and the atmosphere — the fans will agree, but we have to keep working.

'It wasn't perfect, yet the team spirit, the willingness to defend and cover for each other, are there. We can feel it and the crowd can feel it.'

Romaine Mundle scored a superb first-half winner for a Sunderland side brimming with ideas and youthful exuberance.

Seventeen-year-old academy product Chris Rigg, 18-year-old Jobe Bellingham and Eliezer Mayenda, 19, all played their part, but Mundle stole the show in the 26th minute.

The ex-Tottenham prospect, 21, collected possession on the left-hand side of Burnley's penalty box and cut inside before unleashing a powerful right-footed shot which flew into the bottom corner.

The Stadium of Light erupted and Le Bris' side already seem to be moving on from Jack Clarke after his big-money move to Ipswich.

'Romaine has an opportunity now Jack has left and he needs experience and time to develop, but he's very talented and for sure he will help us in our next steps,' added Le Bris.

Wilson Isidor has arrived from Zenit St Petersburg on a season-long loan and was paraded on the pitch ahead of kick-off before watching his new team dominate.

Several half-chances came and went during the first half and the hosts should have made the game safe after the break.

There was a naivety about some of Sunderland's decision-making, but they held on despite the late dismissal of captain Dan Neil for a second yellow card.

Burnley had won their opening two games, but they created next to nothing.

Manuel Benson and Wout Weghorst were left out and are set to leave, with Clarets boss Scott Parker also confirming that Dara O'Shea will depart.

Parker said: 'The club are doing everything in their power to get players in and there's no doubt some will be leaving.

'I'm bitterly disappointed but I don't want to make this into a crisis because we've lost one game.'

QPR 1-1 Plymouth

Wayne Rooney was proud of his nine-man Plymouth side and Conor Hazard — despite the goalkeeper comically dropping his man of the match award.

The 26-year Ulsterman helped earn his side a point in a rearguard display after two of his Plymouth team-mates were sent off, before letting the trophy slip out of his hands on TV afterwards.

It was a brave Plymouth performance after Morgan Whittaker cancelled out a Michael Frey opener, with Adam Forshaw and Freddie Issaka both seeing red.

Hazard responded to the signing of new keeper Daniel Grimshaw before the game with an outstanding display.

Rooney admitted he had not seen the viral video of his keeper losing his grip, but the Pilgrims manager left Loftus Road happy.

He said: 'I didn't see him drop the award. But I'm delighted with him, we're trying to improve the squad and create a real competition for places.

'Dan came in but wasn't available and Conor has shown me what a fantastic goalkeeper he is. The character of the players showed, the energy, especially in the second half. I thought we were fantastic, defending the box really well.

'Defenders were blocking shots, heading balls out. I'm delighted with the performance.'

QPR took a third-minute lead when Frey flicked in Kader Dembele's corner. Yet Plymouth rode the storm and Whittaker levelled with a superb drive from over 25 yards out on 28 minutes, only for Forshaw to then pick up a second yellow just a minute later. Hazard was the busier keeper, pushing a Sam Field header onto the post before a late double save from Steve Cook and Field.

Issaka saw red in injury-time for a mistimed a challenge, but the visitors commendably held on.

While the sight of QPR forward Paul Smyth hitting the ground in frustration after the whistle told its own story, head coach Marti Cifuentes felt the result did not match the performance.

He said: 'Mixed feelings in the sense of only getting one point, it's not enough. But I'm happy about some parts of the performance.'

Watford 2-1 Derby

Strikers scoring wonder goals and veterans popping up with winners — it remains full speed ahead for Watford and manager Tom Cleverley.

Vakoun Bayo supplied the goal of the game, spinning in the air to cancel out Ebou Adams' second-minute Derby opener.

But it was Moussa Sissoko who won it for the Hornets. The midfielder, now 35, was well placed to net on the rebound after Giorgi Chakvetadze's close-range effort was blocked.

This is Sissoko's second spell at Vicarage Road, having joined from Tottenham in 2021 for a Premier League campaign that ended in relegation and saw him jump ship to Nantes.

Cleverley, who signed him on a free this summer, was his team-mate that season and said: 'He is pivotal to what we are trying to do. He is one of those figures, when you line up as an opposition player against him, he has got a presence, an aura about him. He is a winner.'

Derby manager Paul Warne will be without Richie Barker for Tuesday's EFL Cup trip to Barrow after his assistant boss was shown a red card just before half-time for some argy-bargy in front of the dugouts.

'I have never had a member of my staff sent off before,' said Warne. 'We were frustrated and whether Richie said anything to the fourth official, I don't know.'

Stoke 1-2 West Brom

Carlos Corberan praised West Brom's good start to the season after they picked up their second successive away win.

Goals from Karlan Grant and Josh Maja, either side of a equaliser from Lewis Koumas, ensured they would travel back down the M6 with all three points.

And manager Corberan said: 'For me at this point in the season it is very important, not in terms of the points that you get —although we always want to get points — not in the results or the points, but the performance.

'We have a new squad, we have had a lot of changes and for me it is important that we get the steps right and build on the identity of this squad.

'I am really pleased for the players because they have put a lot of effort in today, of course, all of the credit goes to them.

'For me, they had to manage difficult moments in the game. After nearly scoring a goal at one end of the pitch, Stoke then showed the quality they have in the final part of the pitch, so the players kept the belief and showed the ideal reaction.

'The team performed better in the second half than they did in the first. I liked the personality of the team as you saw in the last five minutes of the game.

'We were still trying to play football and keep attacking.'

Stoke boss Steven Schumacher was disappointed with the result, claiming that on another day it could have been his side walking away with victory.

However, there were positives for the former Plymouth boss, who lauded striker Koumas after he netted and hit the post twice on his home debut.

Schumacher said: 'On another day, he gets a hat-trick and takes home the match ball, but that is how close it is in this league.

'Lewis was great, he looked really sharp for us. It was his first start and you can't expect too much from him, but what we did see was positive.'

Bristol City 1-1 Coventry

Mark Robins praised goalscorer Kasey Palmer after the midfielder's second-half strike against his former club earned Coventry a point.

Bristol City took a deserved lead in first-half stoppage time when George Tanner netted with the sweetest of right-footed volleys from 15 yards, following a left-wing corner. But Coventry improved and hit back on 76 minutes, substitute Palmer equalising with a strike from inside the box that found the top corner to silence the boo boys in the home crowd.

Sky Blues boss Robins said: 'Kasey is Kasey and what you get is what you get. Sometimes what you get is unbelievable and sometimes less so.'

Hull 0-0 Millwall

Neil Harris was left in two minds after his Millwall side claimed their first point of the season thanks to a goalless draw at the MKM Stadium.

'I asked for clean sheet mentality and although I'll praise my players for that, we deserved three points,' the manager said.

Millwall should have scored early on, but George Saville lacked composure against goalkeeper Ivor Pandur. Hull's best chance fell to new signing Mason Burstow, whose half-volley was blocked by keeper Lukas Jensen.

Hull were booed off the pitch after a third successive draw and manager Tim Walter said: 'We need to create more.'

Preston 1-0 Luton

Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom praised Will Keane's professionalism after his goal won the day.

In Heckingbottom's first match in charge, Keane got his first goal of the season to secure all three points.

West Brom have enquired about his services, but his boss quashed suggestions he would be leaving.

'He's happy here,' Heckingbottom said. 'He's a good professional. Contracts are contacts aren't they? If people aren't going to pay what the club value you at, you work hard.

'The time to sell is when you've got a replacement. It doesn't make sense to sell.'

The hosts had to dig in as their visitors pushed hard.

Luton boss Rob Edwards admitted: 'We need to be better in the final third.'

Blackburn 2-1 Oxford

Blackburn boss John Eustace lauded his match-winner after Arnor Sigurdsson's late goal secured victory.

Oxford took the lead in the 44th minute through Mark Harris' brilliant 30-yard volley.

But Oxford's joy was short-lived as Joe Rankin-Costello's smart turn and finish restored parity.

And Sigurdsson completed the turnaround, curling beautifully in off the far post just minutes after coming off the bench.

Eustace said: 'Siggy's had a really frustrating time. He got injured at the end of last season and missed a good part of that.

'I'm delighted he's come on and scored. We know he can be a match-winner for us.'

Oxford boss Des Buckingham said: 'I think a draw would have been a fair result, but those key moments make a difference.'

Middlesbrough 2-2 Portsmouth

Summer signing Tommy Conway came off the bench to score a last-gasp penalty and earn Middlesbrough a draw.

Championship newcomers Portsmouth looked set for their first win of the season after first-half goals from Christian Saydee, either side of Matt Clarke's header for Boro.

But Conway struck in the 90th minute to earn a deserved point for the home team, who managed 29 shots on Pompey's goal.

Portsmouth got off to the perfect start with the opening goal after just two minutes.

Boro's defence had not settled and the unmarked Saydee was allowed to sweep home from inside the box.

But the visitors were in front for just nine minutes.

Middlesbrough responded well and drew level when Clarke, who played more than 150 times for Pompey, met Finn Azaz's corner with a superb header into the bottom corner.

Clarke was then involved in the defensive mix-up that led to Portsmouth and Saydee's second. The defender collided with goalkeeper Seny Dieng, allowing Saydee to pounce on the loose ball.

Portsmouth were fortunate not to go down to 10 men when Harvey Blair, who had been booked less than a minute after coming on, wiped out Anfernee Dijksteel, but referee Matthew Donohue opted against a second yellow card, to the fury of home supporters.

But Conway made no mistake from the spot after another Portsmouth substitute, Owen Moxon, fouled Isaiah Jones.