Nilson Angulo nears Sunderland return as stats show where improvement is needed
Nilson Angulo is on the verge of a return for Sunderland, having been out of action since their FA Cup defeat to Port Vale.
Angulo was one of three winter recruits for Sunderland, having joined from Anderlecht as a replacement for Simon Adingra.
The Ecuador international showed flashes of quality in the early stages of his time on Wearside, but had that progress halted after the defeat to Port Vale, with the winger out of action since.
Regis Le Bris has since confirmed that he, alongside Dan Ballard, is close to a return for the Black Cats, while also noting that the Tottenham clash may come too soon.
However, what have we seen from Angulo so far? And what needs to improve?
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Sunderland have a workhorse with Nilson Angulo
Straight from the off, fans noticed just how hard Angulo was willing to work for his team, and that is backed up by his stats.
Per 90 minutes, the 22-year-old averages 2.45 tackles per 90, which places him among the top 11.6 per cent of Premier League wingers.
| Premier League | Angulo |
| Minutes | 257 |
| Passes per 90 | 9.81 |
| Dribbles per 90 | 1.75 |
| Duels won per 90 | 5.60 |
| Fouls won per 90 | 0.70 |
In total, Angulo averages 8.05 defensive contributions per game, which highlights how impressive his work is off the ball.
However, his work on the ball certainly needs improvement, with the Ecuadorian yet to showcase the level of attacking quality that saw him gain his reputation.
He averages just nine successful passes per game, with a pass accuracy of just 68.3 per cent.
The latter sees him rank among the bottom 5.8 per cent of Premier League wingers.
With that said, while his stats are far from pleasing, he has looked dangerous when on the ball, and that level of threat will only grow as he becomes more accustomed to Premier League football ahead of the final seven games of the season.
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Sunderland’s summer priorities remain unkown
Chemsdine Talbi aside, who has really started to grow into life at Sunderland, the Black Cats have had very little return from their wingers.
Jocelin Ta Bi remains an unknown entity given his injury early into his time here, while we have also seen very little of Angulo to gauge a real opinion.
Romaine Mundle and Bertrand Traore are sidelined, leaving the Wearsiders with very few options in that area of the pitch.
Bolstering that department may still be a priority come the summer transfer window, though much of that may hinge on how Angulo and others fare for the remainder of the season.
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