View: 100% Sunderland ace Chris Mepham shines in Hull victory
Chris Mepham was outstanding in Sunderland’s 1-0 win against Hull on Sunday 20 October, playing a crucial role in their clean sheet.
The Welsh international has solidified his place in the side since Dan Ballard picked up an injury and his performance at the MKM Stadium has removed any potential doubt about him losing it.
Perhaps the only surprise is that Mepham wasn’t awarded the Man of the Match award, with Wilson Isidor picking up the accolade after scoring the winning goal.
Chris Mepham: A wall at the back for Sunderland
You’ll struggle to see a better performance from a centre-back this season in the Championship than that of Mepham against Hull.
He was magnificent.
According to FotMob, the Welshman won 100 per cent of both his aerial and ground duels as well as 100 per cent of his tackles.
It is quite remarkable to have a perfect return in many attributes throughout a game.
Mepham didn’t allow any Hull forward to get a sniff on goal and his experience was clear throughout.
His positioning was perfect on several occasions and it allowed the defender to intervene and prevent any potential danger without a problem.
The Welshman’s game went far beyond his exceptional defensive contributions, however, as he excelled on the ball for the Black Cats just as much.
Per SofaScore, Mepham boasted a respectable 88 per cent pass accuracy from 51 attempted passes during the game, many of which started a promising attack for Sunderland.
The win allowed Sunderland to reclaim their place at the top of the Championship, heading into another tough encounter when they travel to face Luton Town on Wednesday (23 October).
In other Sunderland news, Sunderland announced that Welsh defender Niall Huggins had signed a new contract until 2026.
For more Sunderland news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.