The strongest of spines: Analysing Sunderland's Premier League start with Ballard, Xhaka, and Isidor

Kognia's Dylan Jones assesses Sunderland's impressive start to the season, looking at their output on both sides of the ball, as well as addressing their spine - which as proved crucial to the newly promoted team's early strong performances in the Premier League.

The Black Cats have made an impressive return to the Premier League. After 10 matches, they sit in 4th place with 18 points, defying the usual struggles of newly promoted teams.

With the squad overhaul in the summer, Régis Le Bris has successfully integrated many new faces not only into a new team, but also in adapting to a new league. But some old faces that make up the spine of the team have equally stepped up, and this combination with both experienced and new arrivals have all assisted the Black Cats' incredible start.  

In attack

Offensively Sunderland have been far from remarkable, ranking highly in only a few selected metrics. 12 goals scored from 10 xG would rank them a more modest 11th in the table, a position a newly promoted side would probably bite your hand off to be in in previous seasons.

So what is behind Sunderland's great start to the season? Home advantage? Sunderland are unbeaten at home in 5 matches with 3 wins and 2 draws.

Sunderland’s attacking output is noticeably higher when they play at home

In defence

As expected with any newly promoted side, defending has taken up a larger proportion of match phases. Sunderland have taken this in their stride, especially when looking at defending the box. They have defended the box ferociously this season so far, ranking highly on numerous metrics.

Specifically looking at defensive cross metrics: they block, intercept and recover second balls after crosses in the highest percentiles across the league. Dealing with crosses involves aerial duels, an area Sunderland thrive on - ranking 2nd in the league for defensive aerial duels won. This collective effort at defending crosses can be seen below with their compact defensive organisation.   

Being compact when defending your own box is a fundamental aspect of football. This allows defenders to mark opposition attackers more closely.

Marking opponents inside the box is one of Kognia’s unique metrics, and Sunderland rank highly (79th percentile). When opposition do find this space within Sunderland’s box they are incredibly aggressive at closing down the space available, ranking 2nd in the league for blocking a finishing opportunity inside the box.

Defending the box is essential but it is imperative you don't camp within it for 90 minutes. Sunderland recognise this and rank in the 95th percentile for clear the box, a unique Kognia metric defined as movement of several players of a team intentionally moving forward to free the penalty box, which allows Sunderland to relieve pressure and defend higher up the pitch.

The spine of the team

In this section we focus on Sunderland's spine: Ballard, Xhaka and Isidor.

Dan Ballard

In defence, Dan Ballard has certainly relished the challenge this season. He ranks highly amongst many defensive metrics, contributing heavily to the team’s defensive statistics. 

• 98th Percentile for intercepting crosses into the box and marking opponents inside the box

• 99th percentile for blocking a finishing opportunity inside the box and clearing the box 

• He leads the league in defensive aerial duels won and interceptions after defending moves behind the defensive line

Alongside his defensive output, Ballard has also proved valuable on the ball, performing highly in build up situations - ranking in the 80th percentile for overcoming opponents with vertical passes. His main strength offensively is when the call to venture forward for set piece situations arises. Ranking in the 95th percentile for offensive aerial duels won, he is the clear target for Sunderland in these situations (shown in the footage below). All of his shots this season have come from set piece situations where he ranks second amongst defenders for shots behind only Ricardo Califiori (1.92 P90). He excels at making attacking runs that free him from defenders, consistently putting him in prime scoring positions. This is evidenced by his ranking as the top defender for xG P90.

Granit Xhaka 

Granit Xhaka's return to the Premier League with a promoted side, after a record-breaking double season with Bayer Leverkusen in 2024-2025, surprised many. Nevertheless, the Swiss captain has quickly settled in on Wearside, bringing a wealth of experience. Régis Le Bris immediately recognised his influence, leading to him being granted the armband for the season.

Granit Xhaka was a pivotal figure in Leverkusen's undefeated season, and his exceptional midfield control has seamlessly transitioned to his performances with the Black Cats. He consistently ranks among the top players this season, just as he did previously, excelling in areas such as progressive passes, third-man passes, successful final third passes, and successful passes into the opposition's box. 

Xhaka, with the highest total distance covered by any player this season, is meeting the demanding physical requirements of a defensive midfielder. His midfield partner, Noah Sadiki, ranks fourth in this metric, demonstrating that this dynamic duo leaves no part of the field untouched.

Unsurprisingly, Xhaka is contributing with and without the ball, excelling in metrics such as defensive aerial duels won (88th percentile), blocked finishing opportunities inside the box (92nd percentile), and intercepting crosses into the box (88th percentile). His proactive defensive efforts have also been crucial to the team's impressive defensive record this season. Consistent, all-around midfield performances have made him an indispensable driving force in Sunderland's engine room. 

Wilson Isidor

Wilson Isidor's permanent transfer to Sunderland midway through the 2024-25 Championship season has proven to be a shrewd investment. The striker is flourishing in the Premier League this season, demonstrating his prowess in goal-scoring actions. He ranks in the 98th percentile for shots and the 93rd percentile for shots on target. This impressive quantity is matched by quality, with Isidor ranking in the 96th percentile for xG, indicating he is consistently generating high-quality opportunities. His efforts have translated into four goals so far this season, placing him joint third in the league. 

Isidor's impressive attacking output can be linked to his relentless work off the ball. He consistently ranks highly in key metrics such as moving behind the defensive line (90th percentile), taking advantage of defensive line imbalances (92nd percentile), and occupying spaces in the box to receive & finish (84th percentile). These continuous offensive movements are crucial to Sunderland, enabling Isidor to consistently get into dangerous positions and significantly contribute to the team's goal tally.

Sunderland's electrifying start to the season has sent shockwaves through the Premier League, firmly establishing them as a formidable presence. Their success is a testament to a meticulously crafted strategy built on a bedrock of defensive solidity and capitalising on their home advantage. The consistent performances of their Spine players Ballard, Xhaka, and Isidor, has firmly established Sunderland as a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League. While the team has defied expectations, the true test of their resilience and ambition will come with the busy winter schedule and challenging fixtures ahead, starting with a tough home match against Arsenal this weekend where they look to continue their unbeaten home form.