Alan Shearer in stitches after what Gary Lineker said about Sunderland after win vs Nottingham Forest
Sunderland managed to grab their first Premier League away win of the season against Nottingham Forest as they ran out 1-0 winners at the City Ground.
Regis Le Bris’ Sunderland surmounted a top effort in their win over Forest, and moved themselves up to fourth in the table when the full-time whistle went.
Omar Alderete scored his first goal for the club and Robin Roefs was crucial in maintaining the clean sheet for Sunderland.
Tottenham later drew with Wolves, meaning the Black Cats finished the weekend in fifth.
Alan Shearer left in stitches over Gary Lineker joke
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer praised Regis Le Bris’ side for their start to the season on Match of the Day, and was left chuckling when Gary Lineker asked him about this on The Rest is Football.
Shearer has been poked at for giving minimal credit to Sunderland this season, but Lineker made sure to address this when speaking to the Geordie.
He said: “You seemed ecstatic about Sunderland’s victory, Alan.”
To which Shearer greeted with a laugh.
The former Newcastle captain then said: “They [Sunderland] were brilliant.”
“I’ve got a couple of pals in Newcastle who are Sunderland fans and they’ve been giving me grief because I haven’t yet praised Sunderland on Match of the Day.
“We were splitting up who was going to the games towards the end of the programme yesterday, and I said, Micah [Richards], I’d better do Sunderland because I haven’t said anything about them this season.
“They got their first away win of the season. They had to work hard for it, but I thought Granit Xhaka was fantastic in midfield, and Roefs again was brilliant.
“So yeah, well done, Sunderland.”
Sunderland currently sit fifth in the Premier League table – five points ahead of Newcastle United – and have claimed just one point less than Leeds United’s and Burnley’s totals combined.
Read more: Luke O’Nien sends thank you message after what happened in Sunderland win vs Forest
Granit Xhaka at the centre of all things good for Sunderland
Granit Xhaka has had an immense impact on the Sunderland squad and has been a key factor in getting the side ship shape for Premier League football.
He is one of two outfielders to have played every minute in the league for the Black Cats this season and has become a star in Le Bris‘ side.
| Aerial Duels Won | 66.7 per cent |
| Touches | 403 |
| Tackles | 12 |
| Shot-Creating Actions per 90 minutes | 3.33 |
| Assists | 3 |
The Swiss midfielder has recorded the most assists at Sunderland this season, and ranks as the best player based on shot-creating actions.
But his presence in defence has also been noted, with the 33-year-old making the most tackles compared to all of Sunderland’s midfielders, and has won almost 70 per cent of his aerial duels.
Le Bris’ men face three of the big six in their next five league fixtures, but with Xhaka leading the team on the pitch, they will have no fear about their upcoming matches.
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