Sunderland fifth-worst in Premier League for stat that actually showcases their strength
Sunderland’s style of play has been efficient so far this season.
Sunderland have had a solid start to the season, though the timing of the international break may somewhat disrupt the flow that they found themselves in.
With 11 points from seven games, the Black Cats have shown their ability to compete in the top flight, and their way of playing hasn’t differentiated much from last season.
With that in mind, Regis Le Bris‘ side’s weakness has been revealed, which, in turn, actually demonstrates why their style of play is so effective.
Only four teams average less passes per 90
Le Bris has been a hit ever since joining Sunderland in the Championship, and very rarely has he moved away from his way of playing.
Sunderland, even in the second tier, often sat deep and absorbed pressure, with the intention of hitting them on the break with the pace of the likes of Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda.
That has been no different this season, with FotMob recording that the Black Cats average just 311.4 accurate passes per game.
Only Everton, Crystal Palace, Brentford and Burnley average less than Sunderland, with the latter coming in at 240.6 per game.
However, out of the five, Sunderland have the highest pass completion at 80.6 per cent.
While Brentford and Burnley have struggled so far this season, the other three teams in the bottom five have had excellent starts, showcasing that more possession doesn’t equate to more success.
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Sunderland have fourth-least possession per game
When a team’s main goal is to hit opponents on the counter, they will always have less possession than those they are playing.
Sunderland have lost twice this season, and on both occasions they were forced into having more possession than they would have liked.
While Sunderland do need to work on their game when it comes to having more of the ball, it demonstrates just how much more effective they are when out of it.
A lot of that comes down to the solid defensive foundations Le Bris has installed on Wearside, aided by the super displays of the likes of Nordi Mukiele and Robin Roefs.
The Black Cats may feature low in the table when it comes to these stats, but it should serve as optimism to see how they have been achieving results while doing so.
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