Credit: Imago

Josh Edwards

Thu 23 April 2026 17:00, UK

Sunderland are lacking players with the ability to beat a man in transition.

There is very, very little to be concerned about in regard to the Black Cats, with European football still in sight ahead of the final five games of the season.

With that said, there are still various areas in which the Wearsiders can improve ahead of the next campaign, with a lot of it focused on their transitional play.

Sunderland’s attacking record is certainly the key area for improvement, with open play chance creation having been mixed at best since the start of the season.

And that is backed up to some extent with Eliezer Mayenda the only Sunderland player to feature in a list of the top 50 players in the Premier League for successful dribbles per 90.

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In terms of completed dribbles per 90, Jeremy Doku leads the way in the Premier League with an average of 4.2 per game.

The Belgian has caused issues for every defender in the top flight, and while his goals and assists may not reflect it, his ability on the ball has been crucial to City’s success.

But for Sunderland, Mayenda tops the list with an average of just 1.3 per 90, which has him 50th in the league.

What makes that even more concerning is the fact that Mayenda has played the least of any attacker at the Stadium of Light this season.

Chemsdine Talbi has the second-most for the Black Cats with one per game, which places him in the top 76 this season.

It’s an area that the Wearsiders need to improve on for the next campaign, and they may already have the fix in the building.

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Jocelin Ta Bi may be the answer for Sunderland

We have seen very little of Jocelin Ta Bi this season, with the Ivorian having suffered an injury very early into his time here, but the signs are promising.

In the 39 minutes of Premier League football that he played prior to his injury, Ta Bi completed two dribbles, and if he were to keep that up throughout a season, it would see him average 4.62 per 90, which would place him above Doku.

Nilson Angulo will be another player that the Black Cats look towards to address that, with both of them due back from injury in the coming weeks.

For even more Sunderland news and opinions, head over to Football Insider.