Former Sunderland man Julio Arca has shared his love for one current Black Cats player, amid this fine start to the season.
Julio Arca is a blast from the past for Sunderland fans, and for Middlesbrough fans too with the Argentine having played for both north-east clubs during his career.
He’s recently had a stint in management with South Shields, albeit briefly during 2023. But he’s been speaking on Total Sport about Sunderland and their start to the season under Regis Le Bris.
After Sunderland claimed a dominant win over Oxford United at the weekend, the Black Cats now find themselves with a five-point gap at the top of the Championship table.
So many individual players are coming into praise following their fine start. But one whose name we might be seeing more of than most is Wilson Isidor.
The French striker, on loan from Zenit, now has four goals in nine Championship outings, making him Sunderland’s joint top-scorer in the league this season with Romaine Mundle.
Julio Arca impressed by Wilson Isidor form at Sunderland
Isidor says that Sunderland fans hail him in the streets following his prolific start to life at the Stadium of Light.
It’s thought that Sunderland have a £3.5million option to buy Isidor at the end of this season and if he continues in this vein of form, the Sunderland owners may be tempted to pay up before the end of the campaign.
Speaking on Total Sport, former Sunderland man Arca had his say on Isidor, saying that his style of play in attack is something that the Black Cats desperately lacked last season.
Arca said: “They’re doing fantastically well. Some of the young players coming through the team have done extremely well, and the new signings are making the difference.
“Isidor up front is something that Sunderland needed desperately last season. Just breaking the back-line on teams and he’s doing it now.
“So you can start playing from the back if you want, but also you can go a bit longer because he’s going to let you run in behind.”
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Sunderland go from ‘famine to feast’ in striker department
Speaking with Arca on Total Sport, BBC pundit Nick Barnes discussed how Sunderland have gone from ‘famine to feast’ with regards to their striker options.
At times last season, Jobe Bellingham was forced to play up front because of the lack of quality in that position.
Now, there’s Isidor in fine form, Aaron Connolly, Eliezer Mayenda returning from injury for Sunderland, as well as the likes of Nazariy Rusyn too.
So there’s plenty of option. But right now it’s Isidor’s shirt to lose, following his string of impressive performances for the Black Cats.
Like Arca says, a striker with his skillset and physicality is something that the club have really missed of late, arguably since Ross Stewart left for Southampton in September 2023.