A number of heroes have stepped up for Sunderland this season. On Tuesday night it was Eliezer Mayenda’s turn, and Regis Le Bris suggests the Black Cats striker is even better than we may have thought.
Sunderland registered a 1-0 win over Derby County this week to keep up their unlikely title charge, and it was Eliezer Mayenda who scored the decisive goal to win the game.
It’s been a good week for Mayenda, who was a ‘nuisance’ against Burnley and then was hailed as the ‘golden boy’ Sunderland needed at Pride Park.
That goal made him Sunderland’s top attacking contributor this season so far, and Regis Le Bris has been full of praise for the young Spaniard.
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Eliezer Mayenda is always trying to improve and works incredibly hard for the team
Speaking to the press (via Sunderland’s official YouTube channel) ahead of this weekend’s game against Plymouth Argyle, Le Bris was asked about Mayenda’s impact and explained why we’ve all been wrong about one thing in particular.
The Sunderland manager said: “He is in a good place. He struggled sometimes, and probably it was part of his learning curve, you can be high and low. But his behaviour on the pitch was always positive. His body language can suggest he is not involved, but it is the opposite.
“It’s like something to protect himself. He really wants to improve, when he struggles he doesn’t like that. Now he deserves to be at that level, and he will be very important, he helps in and out of possession, and he scores goals we like that.”
It’s important to remember that Mayenda is a teenager, living and playing outside of his native homeland, and that things he does or says sometimes may not actually reflect his true self.
Still, his performances have been outstanding for the most part this season, and it’s interesting to learn just how much he cares about doing well for the team.
The Mayenda and Isidor partnership could be the key to Sunderland’s promotion
That sentiment was echoed by Anthony Patterson, who praised Mayenda’s work-rate and determination to contribute to the Black Cats’ endeavours every day.
One thing that has been particularly pleasing to see unfold is the partnership between Mayenda and Wilson Isidor. The pair complement each others’ game so well, and if they can keep up the momentum they have right now, Sunderland could go all the way this season.
| Statistics | Wilson Isidor | Eliezer Mayenda |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 25 | 21 |
| Goals | 8 | 4 |
| Assists | 0 | 5 |
| xG | 9.5 | 6.2 |
| Shots on target | 42.4% | 42.1% |
It is thought Sunderland want a new striker this month, and while that makes sense from a squad depth perspective, it is hard to imagine anyone displacing Mayenda and his partner right now.
Still, with Mayenda only being 19-years-old, it is scary to think he could get even better in the future. By the sounds of it, he’s got the exact mindset needed to make that happen.