Sunderland: Jude Bellingham reacts in one-word to Jobe Bellingham after Middlesbrough win | OneFootball

Jude Bellingham took to social media to praise his brother's fine performance against Middlesbrough.

Jude Bellingham took to social media to comment on brother Jobe's performance in the wake of Sunderland's 1-0 win over Middlesbrough.

The Black Cats defeated Boro on Saturday in what was the club's fifth win in six matches and their convincing performance was a reminder of the progress made under Regis Le Bris.

With Sunderland placed second after six games, the Black Cats must surely be eyeing promotion this season along with table-topping West Bromwich Albion.

Although it would be hard to single out one performer in Sunderland's side, Jobe Bellingham has impressed with his early season form and justifies the 'machine' tag played by his older brother.

Jobe Bellingham labelled 'machine' by older brother Jude

Following Sunderland's 1-0 victory over rivals Middlesbrough, Jobe Bellingham took to Instagram to praise the players and fans at the Stadium of Light.

The midfielder posted the following message on his social media account: "Enjoyed that one. Amazing atmosphere and team performance once again!❤️🤍".

While the 19-year-old drew plaudits from the fans for his performance, it was his brother's comment that gained the most traction. Jude Bellingham replied with one fitting word: "machine". Indeed, that one word was a true justification of his performance on Saturday.

Recently, the Real Madrid superstar revealed that Carlo Ancelotti jokingly threatened to replace him with his younger brother on his YouTube channel. The comments came after his younger sibling bagged two goals for the Black Cats in a 3-1 win over Rotherham last season.

"I’ll never forget, as we’re coming out, Ancelotti goes to me, ‘we’ve bought the wrong one’," said Bellingham.

"Finally, he just gave me a little smile and my heart dropped. I’m like, 'no pressure for today'," Bellingham remembers.

Jobe Bellingham's Sunderland performances justify the hype

One thing that Jobe Bellingham will always have to live with is his surname, but the midfielder is taking steps to pave his own path in football. With 'Jobe' on the back of his shirt, this is the clearest indication that the player does not want to be compared to his brother.

Despite his desire to be his own player, comparisons are always going to happen when your older brother is one of the best players in world football.

Some will claim that he will never be as good as his older sibling and that his value is inflated because of his surname, but the 19-year-old is making a name for himself with his performances, rather than the name on his birth certificate.

In Bellingham's first season on Wearside, he put in some match-winning displays and showed a commanding strength in his game. The midfielder finished the season with seven goals and one assist in 45 Championship appearances, behind only Jack Clarke in terms of goal contributions.

Although the player was heavily linked with Premier League clubs over the summer, he penned a new deal on Wearside which will tie him down until 2028.

While there is no doubting his ability, some fans have questioned whether he is as good as the hype suggests, but Bellingham has gone some way in proving his doubters wrong with a strong start to the season.

The 19-year-old's performance against Boro showed all fans what he is capable of. Bellingham ran the game in central-midfield with a physically dominant display and demonstrated his ability to drive forward with the ball.

While Bellingham has one assist to his name this season, he should be judged on his performances and his have been top level so far this season. As such a physical specimen, he is proving to be a nightmare to play against and he has only just turned 19.

Jude Bellingham took to social media to support his younger brother with a one-word comment that summed up his performance perfectly: "Machine".

Since signing from Birmingham City, Jobe Bellingham's game has improved game by game and this season he is proving the doubters wrong with some fine displays.