Winners and losers from Sunderland EFL Cup exit to Huddersfield include Patrick Roberts
Sunderland were knocked out of the EFL Cup in the second round after a disappointing penalty shoot-out defeat to League One Huddersfield Town.
Sunderland fell behind quickly when Leo Castledine scored a brilliant volley at the Stadium of Light in Tuesday’s contest.
Regis Le Bris named a completely different starting line-up to the side that lost at Burnley, with Nordi Mukiele, Marc Guiu and Arthur Masuaku all making their full debuts for the club.
It was Guiu who grabbed the equaliser late on, heading home from Milan Aleksic’s cross.
However, with the game having gone to penalties, it was Aleksic who faltered after 11 successful kicks, as Huddersfield defeated Sunderland 6-5 on penalties.
Patrick Roberts among losers from Sunderland vs Huddersfield
It was a performance to forget for Patrick Roberts, who was given the opportunity to impress having not started in the Premier League this season.
The 28-year-old had two shots but failed to get either of them on target, and remained ineffective for much of the game.
| Stat | Patrick Roberts |
| Ground duels won | 33% |
| Accurate crosses | 25% |
| Successful dribbles | 33% |
Chris Rigg also struggled for Sunderland against Huddersfield, as the teenage star failed to affect play in a positive way.
Only 73 per cent of passes were successful and he failed to get on the ball when Sunderland were chasing their equaliser.
With this being his first match of the season, it is understandable that the 18-year-old is rusty as Sunderland continue to make more additions to the squad.
While he was quiet against Huddersfield, it will be interesting to see how Rigg adapts to his altered playing time this campaign.
Read more: Regis Le Bris must go all out for ‘phenomenon’ after Sunderland denied Axel Disasi links
Guiu gets off the mark at the Stadium of Light
A minor positive to draw from the game was Guiu scoring his first goal for Sunderland.
Sunderland’s Chelsea loanee Guiu rose highest to plant his header into the bottom-right corner as he dragged Sunderland back into the game.
His confidence was high throughout the match, taking on defenders and being unafraid to shoot, showcasing his flair and the quality he could bring to Sunderland throughout the season.
Sunderland fans were ecstatic with Guiu’s performance and are hopeful that he could provide tough competition to Eliezer Mayenda as he builds up his fitness.
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