Sunderland Q&A LIVE: Are Sunderland now safe from relegation? Should a striker be signed in Jan?
Dan Ballard reflects on his Arsenal goal celebration and explains the impact Granit Xhaka has had on Sunderland’s standards
Sunderland defender Dan Ballard has explained the influence Granit Xhaka has had on the squad and reflected on the emotions of scoring against former club Arsenal earlier this season.
Ballard, who came through Arsenal’s academy before leaving to forge his senior career elsewhere, admitted he was surprised by just how significant Xhaka’s impact has been since arriving on Wearside. “He’s an amazing guy. I was a bit surprised when we signed him. I didn’t think one person could affect the team the way he has. From minute one, the standards rose. He does everything. If he’s giving 100 per cent in cold, wet training and he’s won titles and played hundreds of Premier League games, then why shouldn’t we? It’s lifted everyone.”
The Sunderland centre-back also revealed that Xhaka claims to remember him from their shared time at Arsenal, when Ballard was still coming through the academy system. “He says he did. I don’t know if he really did, but he says he remembers me. I’ve put on a bit of size since then. He was a superstar and I was just coming through.”
Ballard has developed a reputation for delivering in high-pressure moments, including his goal against Arsenal, and believes nerves play a key role in bringing the best out of him. “I get really nervous for big games, but I think I play better with the nerves. It fires me up and focuses me. I’ve done quite well recently, so long may it continue.”
That Arsenal goal carried added significance given Ballard’s history with the club, but he was keen to stress that his celebration came from the magnitude of the moment rather than any sense of disrespect. “It was really nice. I never played for the first team, just the academy. But scoring against a club like that, top of the league, playing for Sunderland – it was a full-circle moment. I didn’t want to be disrespectful, but it was a big goal in a big moment.”
What did Régis Le Bris say after the game against Brighton?
Le Bris felt Sunderland’s point away at Brighton was a deserved one after his side stood firm during a sustained spell of late pressure from the hosts. Sunderland enjoyed long periods of control despite travelling south without several players due to Africa Cup of Nations call-ups.
Brighton, however, were also missing key figures through injury, suspension and illness, and it was the home side who finished the stronger as the game wore on. While Sunderland were unable to capitalise on their chances earlier in the contest, Le Bris took encouragement from the way his players defended their penalty area to preserve a clean sheet.
“A draw was probably a fair result,” Le Bris said. “The atmosphere in the dressing room was a bit disappointed [that we didn't win], which was a good sign for the future. We had two parts to the game. Until 65 or 70 minutes, we were dominant, especially for a team playing away from home.
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“We showed good qualities, great character. We were controlling the ball, and we had opportunities to score during this period. But when you don’t score away when you have those opportunities, you can expect that the opponent will push until the end.
“They did well during the last 20 or 25 minutes. We stayed consistent with our deep block and kept this clean sheet. They crossed a lot, as expected, so we were prepared for that. We have players who are really determined to defend the box and the goal, and they did that. They defended well.”
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