Alan Shearer surely speaking through gritted teeth after what he’s said about Sunderland
Alan Shearer heaped some rare praise on Sunderland during their Premier League meeting with Arsenal on Saturday.
Dan Ballard’s aerial threat has been excellent when defending his goal, but it was an instinctive half-volley that gave the Black Cats a 1-0 lead in the 37th minute on the match.
Regis Le Bris has exceeded all expectations this season, and he’s looking to record the biggest scalp of his managerial career.
Shearer has praised Sunderland previously this season, and he was forced to do it again at half-time of the Arsenal game with the Black Cats 1-0 up.
Alan Shearer praises Sunderland’s defensive shape
Le Bris is 45 minutes away from recording his biggest scalp as Sunderland manager.
Speaking via BBC Sport‘s live blog, Shearer was once again left stunned by how the Black Cats have approached the game.
He said: “I’ve been mightily impressed with Sunderland in the first half. They’ve been aggressive, disciplined, and stayed tight at the back.
“Arsenal’s full-backs have been excellent this season, but they have struggled to get into the game tonight. It’s a credit to Sunderland that they haven’t been involved, so far.”
| Sunderland | Stat | Arsenal |
| 1 | Goals | 0 |
| 31% | Possession | 69% |
| 3 | Shots | 5 |
| 0.18 | Expected goals (xG) | 0.54 |
| 1 | Big chances created | 1 |
| 78% | Pass accuracy | 88% |
Sunderland are executing their plan perfectly, and they are more than happy to let the league leaders have the lion’s share of the ball.
The 5-4-1 shape is working well, with Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard failing to get in the game.
There is a clear lack of speed in the Arsenal team, and it gives Sunderland the chance to sit back and look for openings in transition.
Sunderland will get the most joy from hitting Arsenal on the counter-attack in the second half.
Sunderland must look to use their wide players on the break
Enzo Le Fee has been hugely important this season, with defensive contributions proving to be crucial for how Sunderland set up.
However, he needs to provide a much bigger threat in the final third to alleviate the pressure Sunderland will now find themselves under.
He made a poor mistake to give Eberechi Eze a half-chance on the edge of the box, yet he has looked tidy on the ball throughout the game.
As for Bertrand Traore, he has been on the periphery of the match, touching the ball only eight times.
As Arsenal search for an equaliser, Le Bris’ side could get a lot of joy down the wings.
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