Le Bris decision pays off for Sunderland after what Chris Rigg did v Preston
Chris Rigg had been showing signs of fatigue over the last few weeks for Sunderland.
Sunderland were forced to rue a lack of penetration at the Stadium of Light in their 1-1 draw with Preston, though it hasn’t done an awful lot in terms of the race for a top two finish.
With Burnley and Sheffield United only able to replicate the Black Cats’ result, the gap remains at eight points with nine games to play.
All in all, the result and the performance as a whole was a poor one on Wearside, though the introduction of Rigg showed why Regis Le Bris was right to do what he did.
Rigg back to his best for Sunderland
Aside from the opening 10 minutes, there were very few positives to take from the game for Sunderland up until the 59th minute when Rigg and Romaine Mundle were introduced to the game.
It was, of course, the latter who bent a marvellous 20-yard strike into the far top corner to ensure the Mackems weren’t left empty handed, though it was the performance of the former that caught the attention of many.
In recent weeks, Rigg has looked almost burnt out, with Le Bris opting to take him out of the team as of late to rest him. It is a decision that certainly appears to have paid off.
After coming on, Rigg completed 100 per cent of his 24 attempted passes in the game, creating one chance in the game that resulted in an xA of 0.24 [FotMob].
| Sunderland v Preston | Goals | Shots | xG | Possession |
| Sunderland | 1 | 20 | 2.11 | 53% |
| Preston | 1 | 15 | 0.79 | 47% |
Sunderland lacked intensity and tempo in the game, which was completely changed with those 24 passes coming from just 31 touches in the game, showcasing just how fast he was on the ball.
His only attempted dribble in the game was successful, while 100 per cent of his four long passes found their desired target.
Defensively, he had little to do given the nature of the Preston performance, though he still won 50 per cent of his ground duels while making one important block.
Sunderland need to improve at home
While the strike from Mundle was deserving of something from the game, you could make a case for the performance not.
Just two of the last six home encounters have ended in victory for the Black Cats, providing a very frustrating picture given how close they are to being able to compete for a top-two place.
Despite the gap remaining the same, it certainly appears as though any success this season will have to be found through the playoffs.