Which players have contributed most to Sunderland's attacking efforts this season?
Sunderland head into the final six games of the Premier League season very much in the European race, but it’s their solid defensive record that’s got them this far.
The Black Cats are 10th in the table after 32 games, with 46 points on the board, sitting just two points behind sixth-place Chelsea and six points behind Liverpool in fifth, in what is a congested race for continental qualification. Regis Le Bris’ men have been fuelled by a defensive record that’s seen them concede just 36 goals and keep 10 clean sheets, placing them third and fifth, respectively, in those particular metrics. But even when you keep the ball out of your own net, you still need to put it in the other in order to be competitive. So, who has contributed the most for Sunderland this season in that regard?
Who has the most goal contributions for Sunderland this season?
Goals
Brian Brobbey - 6
Chemsdine Talbi - 4
Wilson Isidor - 4
Enzo Le Fée - 4
Dan Ballard - 2
Eliezer Mayenda - 2
Nordi Mukiele - 2
Habib Diarra - 2
Bertrand Traoré - 1
Granit Xhaka - 1
Omar Alderete - 1
Simon Adingra - 1
Sunderland ‘25-’26 assists
Granit Xhaka - 5
Enzo Le Fée - 4
Nordi Mukiele - 4
Trai Hume - 1
Chemsdine Talbi - 1
Omar Alderete - 1
Reinildo Mandava - 1
Brian Brobbey - 1
Habib Diarra - 1
Combined direct goal involvements for Sunderland
Enzo Le Fée - 8
Brian Brobbey - 7
Granit Xhaka - 6
Nordi Mukiele - 6
Chemsdine Talbi - 5
Wilson Isidor - 4
Habib Diarra - 3
Dan Ballard - 2
Eliezer Mayenda - 2
Omar Alderete - 2
Trai Hume - 1
Simon Adingra - 1
Bertrand Traoré - 1
Reinildo Mandava - 1
Sunderland’s top scorer and standout attacking force this season has been Brian Brobbey, who has six goals to his name. Four of those strikes have come since the turn of the year, while the Netherlands international has weighed in with an assist for good measure. Brobbey’s influence goes far beyond raw goals and assists, with his physical presence and hold-up play creating the space for those around him to thrive.
However, in raw numbers, he trails creative midfielder Enzo Le Fee, who has a team-high eight direct goal involvements, split evenly between four goals and four assists. It’s no surprise to see Granit Xhaka high up on this list with six direct goal involvements, fuelled by a team-high five assists. What is quite the shock, however, is Nordi Mukiele joining the Swiss midfielder on six, providing four assists as he’s switched between centre-back and full-back positions, while adding two goals of his own.
Chemsdine Talbi also features prominently as he, like Brobbey, has adjusted to life at the Stadium of Light, while Wilson Isidor is the Black Cats’ second-highest goalscorer on four - but all of them came in the opening nine matches of the Premier League campaign.
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