Granit Xhaka has every right to be fuming after latest Premier League announcement
Sunderland have enjoyed a brilliant start to the Premier League season.
The Black Cats sit ninth in the table, having won three of their first seven matches on their return to the top-flight.
Sunderland’s 2-0 loss to Man United before the international break has perhaps brought fans back down to reality, yet they are on course to become the first promoted team to avoid relegation since 2022-23.
Captain Granit Xhaka has been superb for Sunderland, leading to his performances gaining wider recognition.
Granit Xhaka snubbed as Erling Haaland wins Premier League Player of the Month
Xhaka’s fantastic performances in September helped Sunderland secure five points from their three Premier League matches.
This earned him a nomination for the September Player of the Month award, yet Erling Haaland was announced as the winner on 10 October.
The other nominees for the award were Robin Roefs, Martin Zubimendi, Yankuba Minteh, and Daichi Kamada.
The Norwegian goal-machine registered five goals and one assist in his three games across September, yet Xhaka’s influence was much more impactful.
- Xhaka helped Sunderland achieve a respectable 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace
- Provided a fantastic assist for Wilson Isidor’s strike with a deft header during the 1-1 draw to Aston Villa
- Swung in a beautiful cross for Omar Alderete to score the winning goal in Sunderland’s 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest
- Impressed generally with his all-round displays in midfield
This season, Xhaka has been one of the best midfielders in the league, and the stats prove it.
The 32-year-old has the joint-second most assists in the Premier League this season, whilst creating nine chances from holding midfield.
He completed an average of 46.4 passes per match, and won 58.4 per cent of his duels.
Sunderland have a world-class midfielder on their hands, with his calming presence in the spine of the team allowing for Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra to flourish in the early parts of the season.
Whilst Haaland’s numbers are truly outstanding, no nominee has had as much of an influence on his side as Xhaka.
Xhaka wasn’t the only star to be nominated for the award, with Roefs’ impact for Sunderland also getting praise.
Robin Roefs also unlucky not to win Player of the Month award
Roefs has been a revelation for Sunderland since joining the club in the summer transfer window from Dutch side NEC Nijmegen.
His mistake against Aston Villa may have cost him the award, although that shouldn’t overshadow his brilliant performances against Palace and Forest.
Against Palace, Roefs made six saves and prevented 1.36 expected goals (xG) to earn Sunderland their first away point of the season.
| Clean sheets | 3 |
| Expected goals prevented | 2.68 |
| Saves | 24 |
| Penalties saved | 1/1 |
Against Forest, he went one better, making another six saves. preventing 1.69xG and making 11 recoveries.
For a fee that could rise to £11.5m, Roefs has been one of the bargains of the transfer window, and if he continues his promising displays, there’ll be no doubts that he’ll continue to receive plaudits for his efforts.
The Black Cats have a tough run of fixtures ahead, and both Xhaka and Roefs will be ready to ensure that the high levels that have been set won’t drop.
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