Sunderland were beaten 1-0 by Liverpool on Wednesday night.
Alan Shearer has claimed that it is “no coincidence” Sunderland’s unbeaten home record in the Premier League came to an end while they are without influential captain Granit Xhaka.
The Swiss midfielder missed a fourth consecutive top flight fixture on Wednesday evening, with Regis Le Bris’ side slumping to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of defending champions Liverpool. Prior to that setback, the Black Cats were the only club in the division yet to lose on home soil.
And in his analysis of their clash with Arne Slot’s Reds, Shearer suggested that Xhaka’s absence was a telling factor in Sunderland finally coming unstuck at the Stadium of Light.
What has Alan Shearer said about Sunderland vs Liverpool?
Reflecting on Wednesday’s encounter during an appearance on Match of the Day, Shearer said: “There's no doubt that Sunderland have had an incredible six or seven months, particularly at that place [the Stadium of Light]. Anyone going there knows that they've been in for a right tough game, but I think it's no coincidence that when they haven't got Granit Xhaka [they were beaten at home]. He's without doubt their best player, he pulls the strings in midfield, and without him they're not quite the same.”
Shearer also praised Liverpool centre-backs Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk for the manner in which they kept Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey quiet. He said: “I thought the two centre-halves - Konate and Virgil van Dijk - were outstanding as well, particularly against Brian Brobbey who makes it very very awkward for you, likes to back in, likes the physical challenge. I thought those two handled him really really well and with a couple of last-ditch tackles as well when he was backing in - particularly Konate. I thought they were outstanding.”
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What did Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris say about his side’s performance against Liverpool?
For his part, Sunderland boss Le Bris was eager to focus on the good work that his side have done already this season, and as well as outlining his desire for the Black Cats to keep building the Stadium of Light’s reputation as a fortress.
He said: "I want to take the positive - to have that record was outstanding. It's done and now we want to keep this place hard to play and I think that will be the case for the future as well. I think we showed it this evening. It wasn't easy for Liverpool to win here, so it's the most important thing for me. We want to be brave, we want to be intense, we want to be hard to play, and it was the case. After that, the result is the result. You can't control everything."
Le Bris also said his side had to stay resilient despite losing back-to-back games, having suffered a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday afternoon too. He added: "We have to keep the same mentality. The journey in the Premier League, especially for a newly promoted side, it's not easy. It's normal to struggle at times, especially against the best teams in this league. Resilience is key, and I think so far we showed that we have this quality."
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