Le Bliss has to bench Sunderland star who loses the ball every two touches

Sunderland picked up a vital point thanks to a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth at lunchtime on Saturday.

The Black Cats sit within two points of Andoni Iraola’s side and remain well within contention for European football with 10 games remaining this term.

It was truly a game in which the home team had the upper hand. Regis Le Bris’ team wanted to make their 38% of possession really count and were willing to concede the majority of possession. It worked to some extent, as they outscored the Cherries side in expected goals and scored a total of 1.42xG.

Sunderland took the lead thanks to striker Eliza Mayenda. It was the simplest of finishes for the 20-year-old, who scored from just a few yards out.

The chance came after a wicked shot from Khabib Diarra forced Djordje Petrovic to make a save, but it fell at Mayenda’s feet to make it 1-0.

However, the Northeast side was unable to maintain their lead. Just after the hour mark, Marcus Tavernier delivered a wicked cross from the left, which was met by Evanilsson with the highest point.

There was some debate as to whether the ball left the Brazilian’s arms, but it was considered a legal goal.

Sunderland were unable to take the lead despite having a late goal ruled out for offside, ending a three-game losing streak. The Black Cats had some outstanding players on this day.

Sunderland’s best player vs. Bournemouth

People have been waxing lyrical about Granit Xhaka all season, and for good reason. Today, the Swiss midfielder made his first start since January and was once again the driving force in Sunderland’s midfield.

Always looking to get on the ball, the experienced 33-year-old operated in the heart of midfield, looking to directly drive the ball forward and cut through the Cherries’ defence.

He made nine passes into the final third and did it well. It was certainly a big benefit to have him back.

Another player who stood out in Le Bris’ team was Enzo Le Fey. The Frenchman moved wide just to Xhaka’s left and the two linked up well. Seven passes were completed between the two players, the third most by a Sunderland player.

Other than that, it was a good afternoon’s work on the south coast for Black Cats No. 28. He was a threat in the final third, creating two chances and completing 100% of his dribbles. He was certainly full of confidence and worked well with the captain.

However, there was a teammate who struggled at Vitality Stadium.

Sunderland’s worst player vs Bournemouth

It was certainly a tough day at the office for 20-year-old winger Kemsudine Talbi. He struggled against the impressive Adrian Truffert, which showed in a frustrating afternoon of work.

It wasn’t for lack of trying, of course, but the young Moroccan forward missed the game. He touched the ball 32 times, but lost the ball 16 times (once per touch).

He was unable to complete a dribble, failed to record any significant passes, and won just one of seven matches.

Therefore, it may not be surprising that the young player was substituted by the manager after 70 minutes. He certainly worked hard, but nothing came of it and Le Bris looked to Bertrand Traore for inspiration to find an equaliser.

This puts the Black Cats boss in an interesting position. While it certainly wasn’t the goal at the start of the season, European qualification is still a possibility, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him left out of the squad to keep the team fresh after Talbi’s poor performance.

There are also several options at his disposal. One of them, Traore, made a 20-minute cameo appearance during Saturday’s lunchtime. Alternatively, Wilson Isidore or Chris Rigg could be brought in, in which case we could see a change in the Sunderland manager’s system.

In any case, it would not be surprising to see the winger left out of the side for Sunderland’s next game, a tough away game against Leeds United.