Troy Deeney stunned by ‘sensational’ Sunderland ace who reminds him of John Terry after Chelsea win
Sunderland shocked the masses with a win over Chelsea on Saturday.
Regis Le Bris and Co fought back to secure victory with a last-gasp Chemsdine Talbi strike at Stamford Bridge on 25 October.
Sunderland temporarily rose to second in the Premier League after the result, but now sit in fourth after other results.
Sunderland’s winner proved contentious, but supporters and Le Bris will not care after they took all three points.
Granit Xhaka compared to John Terry after Sunderland win over Chelsea
Granit Xhaka has been a revelation at Sunderland, providing them with a leadership figure in the middle of the park.
Deeney claimed that Xhaka reminds him of John Terry in his final years with Chelsea, after the famous victory over the Blues.
Writing in his BBC Sport Team of the Week article, he said: “Loads of people will look at all of the new signings, look at the young players that Sunderland have.
“Xhaka is the general on that pitch, he organises, tackles, has people doing his running for him.
“He reminds me of what John Terry used to be like at Chelsea towards the end of his career, he’s just a level above everyone else.
“The way he wraps the passes in, he gets everything right. For me, he was sensational.”
Fellow Black Cats stars Robin Roefs and Wilson Isidor also featured in his selection, after a fantastic display from the newly-promoted side.
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What do the numbers say about Xhaka’s performance vs Chelsea
The Swiss maestro was immense against Enzo Maresca’s side, completing 94 per cent of the 16 passes that he attempted in his own half, per Sofascore.
The 33-year-old completed two of the four tackles that he attempted, two clearances and two recoveries in the victory.
In terms of duels, he won four of the five that he contested, for an 80 per cent success rate, and won both of the aerial duels that he attempted.
Xhaka has proven to be a brilliant signing for the Mackems, and he is an absolutely integral part of Le Bris’ side’s success.
The only concern may be that if he goes out of form, the whole team does, but that is not an issue at the moment, as he has shown no sign of slowing down since signing for the Stadium of Light outfit.
The numbers from his showing against the Blues show the impact that he has had, and it will be an encouraging sign that he can do it against the top teams, as well as the lower clubs in the table.
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