Sunderland’s amazing start to this Premier League campaign continued this weekend with a stunning win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Another three points on the board for Sunderland and the Black Cats now exit the weekend sitting in fourth place after nine games.
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Sunderland proved they can match the big teams in the Premier League and they’re showing no signs of slowing down, either.
With the whole team pulling together this weekend, it’s hard to really single out particular players for praise, but Troy Deeney has done just that with his Team of the Week selection, with three Sunderland men included.
Granit Xhaka in action for Sunderland during a friendly against Real Betis
Photo by Ed Sykes/Getty Images
Granit Xhaka shines again for Sunderland
He’s been hailed as Sunderland’s most important summer signing already, and it’s easy to see why. Granit Xhaka put in another impervious performance against Chelsea, with his experience and leadership helping to carry the Black Cats forward.
On the Swiss midfielder, Deeney wrote: “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.”
Comparing any player to John Terry is obviously a massive compliment. And Deeney has hit the nail on the head in many ways, with Xhaka the driving force behind Sunderland’s team spirit, as well as being an impeccable player, too.
Robin Roefs made ‘massive’ saves to keep Sunderland in it
Regis Le Bris made the bold decision to replace number one goalkeeper Anthony Patterson in the summer, with Dutch star Robin Roefs coming in.
Suffice it to say that was the right decision. Roefs has firmly established himself as Sunderland’s first-choice ‘keeper and has singlehandedly won the Black Cats points on more than one occasion.
After the win over Chelsea, Deeney said: “I did not think Roefs made loads of great saves but he made some big ones. A massive performance for Sunderland away at Chelsea. These are the games where you need your key players to step up. I thought he was pivotal for them in crucial moments.”
Statistics Robin Roefs 2025/26
Games 9
Goals conceded 7
Save rate 82.1%
Saves per 90 3.44
Clean sheets 4
Penalties saved 1
Data via FBRef
Roefs was nominated for the Player of the Month award in September, and he has the stats to back it all up, too. He’s conceded just seven goals in nine games, makes an average of 3.44 saves per 90 minutes, and has an 82.1% save rate so far.
Wilson Isidor points at the Sunderland badge after scoring against Aston Villa
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Wilson Isidor has stepped up
Finally, Deeney recognised Wilson Isidor’s impact. The Frenchman bagged Sunderland’s equaliser at Stamford Bridge to take his tally to four goals for the season.
Granted, Deeney’s comments were slightly harsh on Isidor, with the pundit writing: “He’s really taken to the Premier League much more than I thought he would. I thought he would struggle if I’m being 100% honest.
“He didn’t set the world alight in the Championship, he only got 12 goals, which is pretty poor considering the team ended up getting promoted. He’s also a bit gangly, a bit crude, but he’s done really well in the Premier League. Maybe stepping up has forced him to raise his game.”
The way that Isidor has taken to English football has been astounding, really, and he continues to go from strength to strength at Sunderland. If he can keep up this goalscoring run, he should reach double figures this season, which would go a long way to helping Sunderland avoid relegation and push on up the league.