Barnsley picked up their biggest win since December, and their biggest at home for exactly 12 months- they defeated Sunderland 3-0 on the 26th August 2017, just short of one year to the day since they defeated Rotherham 4-0 on the 26th August 2016.
The Reds have won two of their opening three league games of the season, compared with winning all their first three last year- in between they have won three of 21.
They have secured back-to-back home wins for the first time since December (Norwich, Blackburn)
Barnsley pick up their first clean sheet of the season (in their sixth match all comps), the longest it has taken them to collect one in a season since 2014-2015.
It is their first clean sheet in 10 matches (all comps)
Barnsley have opened the scoring in six successive home games (all comps) for the first time since January- March 2015 when they broke the deadlock in seven successive home games against Yeovil (won 2-0), Port Vale (won 2-1), Oldham (won 1-0), Fleetwood (lost 2-1), Crewe (won 2-0), Coventry (won 1-0) and Walsall (won 3-0)
For the second season in a row Barnsley open the scoring at Oakwell in their first four home games, that run did end in the fifth.
It is the first time The Reds have scored two first half league goals at Oakwell since the 2-2 draw with Birmingham on New Year’s Eve 2016.
The Reds have scored first half goals in all of their first four home games of the season for the first time since 1998-1999 (managed it in the first eight that campaign)
Barnsley have led at the break in six of their past 11 league matches, but gone on to win only two.
This was the first team relegated from the Premier League that Barnsley have faced so far this season, last season they collected seven points against relegated teams (Newcastle L2, Norwich W1 L1, Aston Villa W1 D1)
Ike Ugbo and Harvey Barnes scored their first goals for the club, it is Ugbo’s first senior goal and Barnes seventh, after the on loan Leicester man grabbed six for MK Dons last season.
Barnes grabbed a goal and assist yesterday on what was his full debut, the first Barnsley player to do this since George Moncur at Bristol City in April. Moncur himself scored Barnsley’s third, his third goal in his last eight Reds appearances.
15,697 were in attendance at Oakwell, the biggest home crowd of the season. This figure was only beaten five times in 2016-2017 and only two against non Yorkshire opponents- Aston Villa and Sunderland’s north east rivals Newcastle.
Simon Grayson has now failed to beat Barnsley in any of his last four matches against them (drew 1-1, lost 2-1, drew 0-0 with Preston)
The Black Cats have won only two of their past 10 away league matches, losing seven, however this was their first away defeat of 2017-2018.
This was the first time Barnsley and Sunderland have met for 10 years and ended a three match unbeaten run for the Wearsiders, they had also won each of their three previous trips to Oakwell.
Current head coach Paul Heckingbottom was in the Barnsley side the last time the two sides met, a 2-0 win for Sunderland in March 2007 when they went on to win the division.
Barnsley have though now won seven of the 13 Oakwell meetings.
Both of Barnsley’s home league wins this season have come after enjoying less possession than their opponents, they had just 40% against Sunderland and 38% against Nottingham Forest.
In all competitions Barnsley have started the season with alternate win/lose results LWLWLW, the first time ever they have started a season like this. The closest in the past was the 1997-1998 Premier League season when they started LWLWL but their sixth match was also a defeat.
Barnsley have not drawn any of their first six matches in all competitions, their longest start to a campaign without a stalemate since 2008-2009 when it came in their eighth match (LLLLWLL)