A worrying statistic has emerged pointing towards a major Sunderland weakness in the wake of their recent 1-0 defeat to Huddersfield.
The Black Cats performed well below standards on Wednesday night after they suffered their first defeat in four games.
Set pieces were once again Sunderland’s downfall as they were unable to cope with Huddersfield’s threat throughout the match as Matty Pearson scored the winner.
The loss is undoubtedly a blow to Michael Beale’s playoff hopes, just when the club looked to have built some momentum. Their recent comeback victory against Plymouth saw an excellent second-half display which led to Sunderland winning 3-1.
The win initially put them into the playoffs, however, Coventry has since picked up four points. This combined with their recent defeat has seen the Black Cats fall to 10th in the Championship table.
After the defeat, a worrying statistic has emerged which suggests why Sunderland has been underperforming in so many games this season.
Sunderland fail to deliver on the goal front
While set pieces have been the bane of the side this season, a new statistic has emerged pointing to another problem Sunderland has. The club this season has had a real issue with scoring goals from the shot they are taking.
According to FBref, the Black Cats are having 15 shots per 90 minutes, with only Leeds, Ipswich and Southampton having more.
However, these efforts are not converting into goals. 0.08 shots from Sunderland end in goals, the fourth-worst ratio in the Championship. The club also has the third-worst ratio for goals per shot on target, standing at 0.25.
This has caused Sunderland to underperform their xG. So far this campaign, the club has a -3.3, the fourth-worst in the division.
Much of this can be put down to the distance Beale’s side are taking their shots. The average shot is being fired from 18.3 yards, only Hully and Watford have a larger distance.
This was evident against Huddersfield. Despite not creating many chances, the visitors still had 12 shots, five of which were on target but did not score a goal.
Sunderland must improve if they are to get playoffs
Form at this time of the season is crucial if Sunderland are to reach the playoffs. It is clear that the side still has many issues that Beale needs to make his priority to fix over the next couple of months.
Sunderland’s overreliance on Jack Clarke is evident and the club’s other attackers must step up.
The upcoming tie against Birmingham will give the Black Cats a perfect platform to bounce back. The Blues are in a similar position to Huddersfield, and a victory could well prove that Wednesday night’s defeat was solely a blip.