Only Man City star can disrupt Sunderland’s dominance in impressive Premier League metric
Regis Le Bris’ men entered Premier League dreamland on Saturday as they dominated West Ham.
Sunderland decimated the Hammers 3-0 on their return to England’s top flight, with goals coming from Eliezer Mayenda, Dan Ballard and Wilson Isidor at the Stadium of Light.
Ballard attracted huge plaudits for his performance, including from Alan Shearer, who described his goal-saving block in the first half as “game-changing”.
The Sunderland defender won 13 duels in the game and scored a towering header to double the home side’s lead, but he wasn’t the only hero on show.
Sunderland stun in distance covered metric
Sunderland came flying out of the blocks on Saturday, constantly pressing and harrying the West Ham backline from the get-go.
When the ball did travel up the pitch, the Black Cats would surround their opponents before launching fast-paced counter-attacks.
West Ham simply could not live with the intensity supplied by Sunderland, and once the first goal had gone in, the floodgates opened.
Attack after attack rained down on the visitors’ goal, with Graham Potter’s side unable to provide any response.
| Premier League players 2025/26 | Distance covered |
| 1. Reinildo | 13.5km |
| 2. Granit Xhaka | 13.2km |
| 3. Nico Gonzalez | 12.5km |
| 4. Habib Diarra | 12.5km |
| 5. Noah Sadiki | 12.1km |
Such was Sunderland’s control that it is no surprise to see their dominance in the distance covered metric supplied by FotMob.
Defender Reinildo sits at the top of the list of distance covered by all Premier League players on the opening weekend, registering 13.5km against West Ham.
And he is closely followed by Granit Xhaka, who ran 13.2km. Fourth and fifth complete the Sunderland midfield, with Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki covering 12.5km and 12.1km, respectively.
The only player who managed to separate the Black Cats was Nico Gonzalez of Manchester City.
Intensity key for Premier League safety
If Sunderland want to survive in the Premier League this season, they must make The Stadium of Light an equivalent of hell on earth for the opposition.
That means intense pressing, constant nibbling at the ankles, and massive physicality.
In that respect, Le Bris’ team have made an excellent start. West Ham would have taken their trip back down South feeling bruised and demoralised.
And Sunderland’s performance will have given the other teams around the league something to think about. Suddenly, the Stadium of Light is not going to be an easy visit.
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