Sam Allardyce hails ‘outstanding’ Sunderland star that Le Bris will ‘love’ after masterclass vs Everton
Sam Allardyce waxed lyrical about Granit Xhaka after his performance against Everton on Monday.
Sunderland drew 1-1 with Everton at the Stadium of Light, with Xhaka‘s second-half strike cancelling out Iliman Ndiaye’s opener.
The Black Cats looked to be on the ropes at times in the first half, but came out swinging after the break and may well have taken all three points.
Enzo Le Fee said Sunderland were not happy with a point against Everton, such are the high standards Regis Le Bris‘ side have set since returning to the Premier League.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus said Sunderland are targeting a top ten finish in the league this season, with January plans already being drawn up.
Sam Allardyce raves after Granit Xhaka display
Xhaka’s impact at Sunderland will have come as no surprise for watchers of the Bundesliga, with the midfielder’s arrival at the Stadium of Light seen as a huge coup.
The Switzerland international enjoyed a similar impact at Bayer Leverkusen when he made the switch from Arsenal in 2023, playing a prominent role in the midfield as Xabi Alonso’s team won the league unbeaten.
Expectations of the season at Sunderland will be slightly more reserved than that, but the midfielder has been equally impressive.
Allardyce, speaking to talkSPORT on Tuesday, said: “Let’s talk about the signing of the season, shall we? Xhaka.
“He looks top draw,” the former Sunderland manager continued. “Well, he’s always looked top draw, but probably looks more outstanding at Sunderland than he did at Arsenal, actually.
“Without disrespecting the Sunderland players, he had better players around him at Arsenal, of course. From his experience, from what he knows and the position he’s being played in by his manager, he’s just outstanding.
“A leader, he looks like that leader, the one where he can control other players on the pitch. The one the manager loves, instead of screaming and shouting from the touchline, they know they can leave it to him and he’ll sort it out. And his passing game and his composure for me is outstanding.”
Xhaka vs Everton by the numbers
There have already been plenty of Xhaka performances this season to laud, but his showing against Everton might just be the best of the lot.
In addition to the goal, the midfielder created five chances, with one of them being a big chance.
His passing was exceptional as always, with nine of his 12 attempted long balls finding their mark to create different angles for Sunderland.
| Granit Xhaka | Vs Everton (H) |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Chances created (big) | 5 (1) |
| Accurate passes | 61/69 |
| Duels won | 6/8 |
| Was fouled | 2 |
Defensively, Xhaka was imperious. Winning nearly all of his duels, the 33-year-old also made three tackles and registered six recoveries.
With each and every brilliant performance, Xhaka is rapidly establishing himself among the best Sunderland signings ever. And to think, he cost them just £17.3million.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Sunderland news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @mackemnews247