As well as Frenchman Enzo Le Fee, another Sunderland player looked solid in the showing against Burnley.
Sunderland picked up a 0-0 draw on their travels against Burnley, a game that saw the Black Cats dominate for large quantities of the game.
Despite two glorious opportunities to break the deadlock from the spot, Wilson Isidor was unable to get his name on the scoresheet, to which he felt obliged to send an apology message to Black Cats fans shortly after the game.
The silver lining for the draw for Sunderland, who will feel as though the game’s conclusion equals two points dropped against a fellow promotion candidate, is the fact that Enzo Le Fee managed his debut, and looked to be a shining light, despite being played out of position by Regis Le Bris.
Le Fee took the shine of many Sunderland fans after the game, but there was in fact another midfielder that went under the radar after his showing against Burnley, one that was certainly comparable to the Frenchman.
Dan Neil deserves more plaudits after a positive Sunderland showing vs Burnley
Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil has received some flak at times this season, often unjustified due to him often being overshadowed by the brilliant talents of the likes of Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg in the centre-of-the-park.
However, the Sunderland captain certainly deserves his recognition for the part that he played in the draw with Burnley, with him putting in a showing that was regarded as ‘elegant’, per Sunderland Echo.
The Black Cats man looked very composed in the holding midfield position, an area that he was thrown into at the start of the season, but has responded by grasping the opportunity with both hands, and his showing against Burnley certainly displayed how well he has embraced the role.
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Dan Neil stats vs Burnley show the incredible difference he makes that goes under the radar
Black Cats man Neil may have not been the most consistent of players this season, which can often come about due to his slight position change, but his stats certainly showed that he was top notch this weekend.
Per SofaScore, Neil, in the 90 minutes of action he played, notched a total of 62 touches, in which he also total 39 accurate passes. He also managed two key passes in the game, and also looked strong defensively, winning seven out of 10 duels, making three clearances and tallying a total of two tackles.
Neil doesn’t always get the plaudits he deserves, but his defensive capabilities have really developed in recent time, and whilst that is a sign that Le Bris is getting the very best out of his ranks, it’s also a reason to shine the spotlight on the Sunderland skipper.