Dan Ballard earns BBC team of the week spot after dominant Sunderland display against West Ham
Dan Ballard has been included in Troy Deeney’s BBC Sport Premier League team of the qeek after impressing in Sunderland’s opening fixture.
The Black Cats defender slotted in alongside Arsenal’s £27m defender William Saliba at centre-back in Deeney’s XI, which also featured the likes of Richarlison, Mohammed Kudus and Manchester City’s Rico Lewis. Ballard was praised for his composure and commanding performance as Régis Le Bris’ side began life back in the Premier League, with Sunderland sealing a 3-0 win over West Ham United at the Stadium of Light.
Ballard has a knack for turning up when Sunderland need him most. From that unforgettable late winner against Coventry City at the Stadium of Light in the play-offs to his thumping header on his Premier League debut against West Ham United, the defender is building a reputation as one of the Black Cats’ most influential players.
Ballard’s game is about far more than goals, of course. Against West Ham, he not only found the net but also produced a crucial block on the line to deny El Hadji Malick Diouf what looked like a certain goal. Moments like that change games, and Sunderland’s 3-0 win could have looked very different without him.
At just 25, the centre-back already boasts 29 caps for Northern Ireland and has delivered consistently against top-level opposition. His form across the last four league games has been nothing short of outstanding: FotMob ratings of 8.2, 8.3, 8.3 and an incredible 8.8 against West Ham, accompanied by four consecutive man-of-the-match awards by the analytics platform.
The data underlines his dominance. Against West Ham, Ballard won more duels (10) and made more clearances (8) than anyone on the pitch. He also racked up four shots, two on target, and topped the charts for touches inside the opposition box. Add in his composure on the ball – 84% pass completion – and it’s clear why his stock is soaring.
What did Régis Le Bris say after Sunderland vs West Ham?
Head coach Régis Le Bris hailed Sunderland’s players after their 3-0 victory over West Ham United but warned that humility and togetherness must remain central to their Premier League campaign.
The Black Cats returned to the top flight in style on Saturday, with second-half goals from Eliezer Mayenda, Dan Ballard and Wilson Isidor sealing their first Premier League win in over eight years.
Le Bris was delighted with the way his players responded to half-time instructions after a challenging first half and praised their ability to execute the gameplan. He also revealed that captain Granit Xhaka addressed the squad post-match to stress the importance of staying united.
“I'm happy for the fans and the players and the club,” Le Bris said. “We had different phases of pre-season and we spoke about the layers we needed to add. It was obvious that it starts from the foundations – we showed that the team is working well.
He added: “They were hard to beat in a mid to low block. The first half was a bit more difficult but during the second half we felt we could get opportunities through regains in the middle and that we could score through counter attacks.
“We didn't change many important things at half time. We spoke a bit about their goalkeeper restarts and our high press, we went for man for man and they found two or three opportunities with long balls. So it was really important to be strong in duels. We made just two or three little decisions, and it made a difference.”
Le Bris was also keen to highlight that Sunderland’s three goals came from players who were already at the club last season, despite a summer of heavy recruitment. “It's really important for two reasons, they showed they can step up [first and foremost],” he said.
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“We'll see later, but today it was the case. And it's really important because they keep the identity of the club and the way we worked last season. We built this strength about togetherness, the way we work as a team. The players worked well as a team and they showed that again today.”
The Frenchman added that while the opening-day victory was a proud moment for everyone connected to the club, Sunderland would remain focused on the long campaign ahead.
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