Reinildo: Sunderland return has seen Black Cats reap benefits more than expected
Reinildo was exceptional for Sunderland in their latest win over Tottenham.
Sunderland have had their injury concerns over the last few months, and plenty of them, but Regis Le Bris was as close to a full-strength squad as he has been in a long time against Spurs.
And that was telling with the performance, with the Black Cats more than worth their 1-0 win over the North Londoners.
Granit Xhaka was immense once again in the engine room, while it was Nordi Mukiele’s goal that proved to be the difference on the way.
However, plenty of attention should be reserved for the performance of Reinildo at the Stadium of Light, with it having gone massively under the radar.
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Reinildo importance showcased by stats vs Tottenham
The left-back position has been somewhat of a curse for Sunderland over the years, with Reinildo, Aji Alese and Dennis Cirkin having all suffered injuries.
With that said, the return of the Mozambique international wasn’t spoken about much in comparison to the others, and the clash with Tottenham showcased why it should have been.
| vs Tottenham | Reinildo |
| Pass accuracy | 83% |
| Dribbles completed | 1 |
| Crosses completed | 1 |
| Duels won | 10 |
| Defensive contributions | 8 |
Reinildo completed 30 of his 36 attempted passes, while also completing one of his two attempted dribbles in the game.
However, it was his defensive numbers that stood out the most, and certainly the ones that played the most crucial part in the game.
Aside from making four tackles, Reinmildo also won seven of his 10 ground duels against Spurs, as well as 100 per cent of those in the air.
Tottenham couldn’t get a sniff out of him all game, which severely limited the amount of threat they could pose from the flanks.
Dennic Cirkin doubts may continue after Reinildo return
Cirkin is out of contract this summer, and at his age, he’s likely to be looking for guarantees over gametime.
With Reinildo having had such a good campaign in the Premier League, he is unlikely to get that at Sunderland, though that is not to say he wouldn’t get his chance.
The former Spurs star is more than worthy of a spot in the Premier League, and he is an excellent option for the Black Cats to have.
But whether he wants to be known as an option remains to be seen ahead of the summer transfer window, with time slowly running out to extend his deal.
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