Sunderland’s position after Boxing Day compared to last year shows that they have massively benefitted from one key player.
The Black Cats currently find themselves cemented in 4th place in the Championship following a 2-2 draw on their travels, which saw Regis Le Bris’ side held by Blackburn Rovers.
Sunderland’s campaign has been overly-positive under the French boss, which has seen them regarded as Championship promotion contenders at the halfway point of the 2024/25 campaign, and they have massively benefitted by the midfield of Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham truly coming of age under Le Bris.
Players elsewhere, including the likes of Patrick Roberts being much improved this season, as well as Dan Neil, have hugely impacted Sunderland’s abilities to improve on last season, but there is one summer signing that has undoubtedly made the biggest difference to last season.
- READ MORE: Wilson Isidor sends message to Sunderland fans after Blackburn Rovers draw, he’s not entirely happy
Sunderland compared to last season shows clear defensive improvement courtesy of Chris Mepham
Comparing Sunderland’s current position to where they were last season after 23 games, per 11v11, it shows an improvement in the final third, having scored four more goals this season, however, the big change for Le Bris’ side are their defensive improvements, with the Black Cats conceding seven less than they had at first stage.
This could certainly be put down to the current form of the defensive Sunderland ranks, with the likes of Trai Hume and Dennis Cirkin doing well on either side of the centre-backs, but the biggest changes have come into play due to the signing of Chris Mepham on loan from Premier League side Bournemouth.
The Sunderland summer signing has been highly regarded ever since he arrived on Wearside, and has provided necessary cover earlier on in the season when Dan Ballard found himself out of action, and has since been a brilliant centre-back partner for him since his return.
Chris Mepham stats this season show how pivotal he is to Regis Le Bris
Since Mepham’s arrival, he has without a doubt helped in revamping the current Sunderland defensive backline, and his stats across this season ultimately show that.
Per SofaScore, Mepham has really been pivotal in Le Bris’ system by passing out from the back, but also with intent as they look to get it forward quickly, with him notching 45.1 accurate passes per game, with 37% of those being delivered in the opposition’s half, something that is remarkable for a centre-back.
Defensively, he has also been top notch by managing an average of 5.4 clearances, 4.4 balls recovered and 5.1 duels won per game, helping his side to six crucial clean sheets.