'signing Of The Season' - How Xhaka Has Taken Sunderland To Top Four

Sunderland skipper Granit Xhaka was called nan signing of nan play - and past came his biggest publication truthful far.

When nan Black Cats signed nan now 33-year-old from Bayer Leverkusen for £13m successful nan summer, they could not person believed really good it would go.

The Switzerland midfielder's effort from extracurricular nan container earned Sunderland a 1-1 location tie pinch Everton that took them backmost into nan apical 4 successful nan Premier League.

That is simply a Champions League spot, a 4th of nan measurement done nan season, for nan promoted side.

"He must beryllium nan signing of nan season," said ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher connected Sky Sports earlier nan game.

"Is location anyone successful nan Premier League having specified an effect anywhere? Arguably not."

After nan game, successful which Xhaka was named man of nan match, Carragher added: "He was fantabulous again, caput and shoulders supra almost anyone other connected that pitch."

Xhaka leads his Sunderland team-mates successful astir each metric going.

But it is highly awesome really highly he ranks crossed nan full convention successful a full scope of statistics.

He has made 3 assists - pinch only 3 players having much (all pinch four). He is joint-11th for chances created, and only 2 players person group up much opportunities from set-plays than his nine.

Among outfield players, only Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi (56) has completed much agelong passes than Xhaka's 52.

But nan Swiss has only attempted 87 agelong passes to Senesi's 138.

He ranks successful nan apical 20 for passes (552), balls into nan container (56) and possesion won (49).

And now he has a goal, his first successful nan Premier League since his last lucifer pinch Arsenal, erstwhile he scored doubly against Wolves connected nan last time successful 2022-23.

Former Sunderland defender Jonny Evans, speaking connected Sky Sports, said: "He is nan only 1 connected nan squad pinch existent experience.

"They tin trust connected him for anything. Also his capacity level is excellent."

This is Xhaka's 2nd spell successful England, having played 297 times for Arsenal from 2016 until 2023.

He past joined Bayer Leverkusen wherever he won nan title nether Xabi Alonso successful their unbeaten home play successful 2023-24.

Erik 10 Hag, past nan Leverkusen boss, insisted Xhaka would not beryllium sold this summer.

But nan midfielder near for Sunderland, and Ten Hag was sacked a fewer weeks into nan season.

"I didn't expect to travel backmost aft Germany but you ne'er cognize wherever you land," said Xhaka.

"To beryllium backmost made maine happy. I knew nan task to bring acquisition and show nan guys time by day.

"It makes maine happy to people a goal."

Xhaka was a spot of a pantomine villain - and sometimes overmuch maligned - astatine Arsenal.

He was sent disconnected 5 times for nan Gunners and spent six weeks arsenic skipper successful 2019, fought pinch his ain fans and was stripped of nan armband.

But things went amended nether Mikel Arteta and he became an important subordinate earlier leaving successful 2023 for Germany.

Carragher said: "After what he went done astatine Arsenal, he showed awesome characteristic to travel backmost from that. The effect he has had, if he tin beryllium portion of a Sunderland squad who finishes successful nan apical 10 – aliases moreover conscionable stays up - he will beryllium remembered for a very agelong time."

Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini told BBC Radio Newcastle: "He exemplifies a apical professional.

"When he was an Arsenal subordinate astatine times you felt for illustration he was a spot of a villain. Over nan years we person seen him mature and develop.

"We've seen a somewhat much restrained type of Xhaka, but it's really amended than nan afloat committed, blowing steam retired of his ears benignant of subordinate that we saw astatine Arsenal.

"He's a small spot much measured, calmer and a amended professional. To person that successful your squad particularly erstwhile you've sewage a young squad, and everyone believes successful him, he's a talisman.

"We request to wrap him successful fabric wool and support him going for 38 games."