Sunderland pulled off a dramatic finish to the game against Bristol City with Patrick Roberts coming up trumps to rescue a point for the Black Cats.
The injury time goal from Patrick Roberts was enough to get Sunderland back on level terms and keep their unbeaten run at the Stadium of Light going.
Roberts put in his best performance of the season at the weekend, but was curiously dropped from the starting lineup by Regis Le Bris for the clash with Bristol City.
But, while Roberts can come away the hero this time after coming off the bench, there was another Sunderland ace who deserves plenty of credit for his own performance.
Eliezer Mayenda was the star of the show for Sunderland vs Bristol City
Naturally, Roberts took top billing in our Sunderland player ratings from the game, but Eliezer Mayenda, handed a rare start by Le Bris, was a real shining light, too.
As per statistics from SofaScore, Mayenda registered 41 touches, making an impact on both the right and left wing. He was successful with 85% of his passes on the day, including a 50% success rate with long balls and crosses.
While Mayenda only picked up a rating of 6.5 out of 10, the winger can be heartened by the fact he won five ground duels, completed three dribbles, and was fouled twice.
| Statistics | Eliezer Mayenda vs Bristol City |
|---|---|
| Touches | 41 |
| Pass success | 85% |
| Accurate crosses | 2 |
| Accurate long balls | 2 |
| Shots | 1 |
| Dribble success | 43% |
| Possession lost | 13 |
| Fouled | 2 |
Of course, judging a player’s performance is more than facts and figures, and what the statistics don’t tell us is just how lively and exciting Mayenda was to watch.
Mayenda has previously been described as a ‘real threat’, and he showed exactly why against Bristol City. The young winger was constantly looking for the ball, wanting to beat his man, and if he could just improve his decision-making in the final third, he could have changed the game a lot earlier.
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Regis Le Bris has some big decisions to make on the wings now
With Mayenda putting in such a tantalising performance and also showing his versatility by playing on both sides of the pitch, and Roberts coming up with the key moment at the death, Le Bris probably has a very easy decision to make for the trip to Swansea on Saturday.
That is, if we assume Tommy Watson’s injury will keep him out of action for the next game. But, when Le Bris has his new wonderkid available again, and Romaine Mundle returns from his long absence, too, Sunderland will be flooded with options on the wings.
It’s a great problem to have, and shows just how much depth there actually is in this Sunderland squad right now.
One thing’s for sure, if Mayenda and Roberts can have a similar impact again in the clash with Swansea at the weekend, these decisions will only get more difficult from here on out.