Sunderland have had a strong begin to their second season again within the Premier League after a win, a draw, and a loss within the opening three matches.
The Black Cats held Brentford to a 1-1 draw away from dwelling within the division final weekend, due to Enzo Le Price scoring from the penalty spot late on after Vitaly Janelt had given the hosts the lead.
He has been the membership’s most efficient attacking outlet for the reason that begin of the 2025/26 marketing campaign for Regis Le Bris‘ facet, racking up seven targets and 6 assists in all competitions.
The French attacking midfielder scored 5 targets, created 13 ‘massive possibilities’, and offered six assists in 36 appearances within the Premier League final time period.
Why Enzo Le Price wants help at Sunderland
As spectacular as Le Price has been, the Frenchman has been a part of an assault that’s but to succeed in the extent of the opposite groups competing on the prime finish of the desk.
The Black Cats have but to attain a number of targets in a sport this season, scoring as soon as in every of their three league outings, and haven’t scored twice in a match since their 2-1 win over Chelsea on the finish of the 2025/26 marketing campaign.
Regardless of ending seventh, Sunderland didn’t have an excellent attacking unit final season. Actually, they ranked 18th for xG (38.9) and seventeenth for targets scored (42) on their option to qualifying for the Europa League.
|
25/26 Premier League |
Sunderland |
Rank |
|---|---|---|
|
Targets per sport |
1.1 |
seventeenth |
|
xG |
38.9 |
18th |
|
Huge possibilities |
64 |
seventeenth |
|
Huge possibilities missed |
42 |
sixteenth |
|
Correct crosses |
3.1 |
nineteenth |
|
xG conceded |
54.4 |
twelfth |
|
Targets conceded per sport |
1.3 |
4th |
They ranked extremely in defensive statistics, hardly ever conceding targets, however they had been among the many worst groups within the league for creating possibilities and scoring targets, which exhibits the place they should enhance to take the workforce to the following degree.
Final season, Sunderland lacked a constant winger who might present an thrilling risk as a scorer and a creator, as they as soon as had with Jack Clarke, who scored 28 targets and offered 23 assists throughout his time on the Stadium of Gentle.
Sunderland might have discovered their most fun expertise since Jack Clarke
The begin to the present marketing campaign, although, means that the Black Cats might have unearthed their most fun expertise since they’d Clarke on the books on Wearside.
In Clarke’s final season with the membership, he excited supporters frequently with 15 targets and 4 assists in 40 matches within the Championship.
Le Price has been an excellent participant for the membership, notably within the Premier League, however he’s not a historically thrilling participant who drives at gamers with the ball, averaging 0.4 accomplished dribbles per sport within the division final time period.
Nilson Angulo, signed from Anderlecht for a price of round £17m in February, is that sort of participant as a pure winger who seems to commit defenders and progress the play for his facet at each alternative.
The 23-year-old attacker had a gradual begin to life on the Stadium of Gentle within the second half of the 2025/26 marketing campaign, beginning simply 5 instances within the Premier League, as he tailored to life and soccer in England.
After a interval on the World Cup with Ecuador and a pre-season with Le Bris, the winger has hit the bottom operating firstly of the present season, beginning all three of the membership’s matches thus far.
Angulo has began the marketing campaign in much more spectacular type than Le Price, regardless of his penalty objective towards Brentford, scoring one of many membership’s solely two targets from open play within the defeat to Ipswich City.
|
26/27 Premier League |
Le Price |
Angulo |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
3 |
3 |
|
Non-penalty targets |
0 |
1 |
|
Cross accuracy |
17% |
17% |
|
Assists |
0 |
0 |
|
Profitable dribbles per sport |
1.3 |
1.7 |
|
Dribble success price |
44% |
71% |
|
Floor duel success price |
52% |
61% |
|
Dribbled previous per sport |
0.7x |
2.0x |
He has been higher than the Frenchman, who’s but to supply a objective contribution from open play, as he has been stronger in his duels and simpler in his efforts to dribble previous opposition defenders.
Angulo is the sort of participant who will get supporters off their ft, as Clarke as soon as did on the left flank, due to how spectacular he’s as a dribbler, finishing 71% of his dribbles this time period.
The £17m-rated star accomplished two of his three tried dribbles towards Brentford and three of his 4 dribbles within the 1-0 win over Fulham, exhibiting that opposition full-backs discover it extremely tough to get the ball off him.
Angulo’s return of six targets and 5 assists in 22 Professional League video games for Anderlecht within the first-half of the 2025/26 marketing campaign additionally means that he has the potential to ship constant high quality within the closing third for the Black Cats now that he has discovered his stride.
Subsequently, the winger may very well be the membership’s most fun participant since Clarke as a result of he can provide each model and substance on the wing for Sunderland, while additionally being simpler and extra thrilling than Le Price thus far this season.
