One Sunderland star continues to defy expectations with his recent top performance.
Sunderland defeated Sheffield Wednesday on Friday evening as the Black Cats bounced back from two successive Championship defeats.
Regis Le Bris’ side were up against the cosh at Hillsborough on occasions, as Jobe Bellingham struggled, whilst Leo Hjelde took time to improve defensively, but it was Eliezer Mayenda’s brace in the end that made the difference in regards to the 2-1 scoreline.
Both of the goals saw a ball lofted over from a full-back, with Mayenda’s first goal causing controversy after it struck his hand, but the latter, set up by Trai Hume was nothing short of incredible.
The Northern Irishman notched his seventh Championship assist of the campaign, and, despite previous criticism by Sunderland fans, he continues to shine at full back.
Sunderland star Trai Hume performance vs Sheffield Wednesday revived key Black Cats strength
At times this season, Hume has been on the receiving end of criticism from fans, but that certainly wasn’t the case after the full-time whistle blew in S6 on Friday evening.
Hume notably assisted Mayenda with a looping ball from deep in the right flank, setting up the Spaniard who guided a header past James Beadle.
His set up for the goal showed Sunderland at their very best, something that hasn’t been evident in recent weeks, and that was the confidence to target the Black Cats forward, on this occasion being Mayenda, and getting it forward quickly in the process.
The set up for Sunderland’s second wasn’t his only shining moment in the win, having shown great abilities on the defensive side as well. Per SofaScore, Hume managed a total of seven tackles, nine ground duels won and four clearances. On top of this, he also showed composure on the ball, making 66 touches, and 30 passes.
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Michael Graham hands Trai Hume thoroughly deserved praise following Sheffield Wednesday win
Following the victory against Sheffield Wednesday, journalist Michael Graham took to X to label Hume as his player of the season so far.
He labelled the full back as a ‘phenomenally consistent,’ and ‘incredibly reliable‘ member of the Black Cats squad, suggesting that his current assist tally is ‘superb’ for a defender.
It is safe to say that, whilst Mayenda will deservedly receive the plaudits for the win against Sheffield Wednesday, Hume was once again impeccable, and has been for the last few weeks, showing his consistency in recent times.
Having a player so comfortable, both defensively and in attack can be a rare commodity at Championship level, and is one that Sunderland fans should certainly not take for granted.