Aston Villa edged past Sunderland 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller at Villa Park, a result that confirmed Regis Le Bris's side can trade blows with established Premier League clubs but still has work to do to stay up.
The match also served as a showcase. Enzo Le Fee, the French midfielder who arrived as part of Sunderland's Championship push, now finds himself on summer shortlists across Europe. Clubs with Europa League pedigree are the ones asking questions.
Sunderland know the arithmetic. Promotion brought revenue and attention, but survival requires squad depth they may not have. Selling one of their more marketable assets—Le Fee or teammate Noah Sadiki—could fund the rebuild needed to stay afloat.
That is the kind of decision that turns a positive season into a necessary one.