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North East | Sunderland move into the top four

Sunderland 1 - 1 Everton

Granit Xhaka scored his first goal for Sunderland as the Black Cats came from behind to earn a draw with Everton and climb to fourth.

Author | Lewis Whatley 

Stadium | Stadium of Light

Premier League | Sunderland v Everton | Sunderland corner

Everton began the brighter of the two sides and took the lead through Iliman Ndiaye’s superb solo effort, the forward weaving through several defenders before finishing coolly past the stranded goalkeeper.

Jack Grealish struck the post as the visitors dominated the early stages, but Thierno Barry’s glaring miss from close range midway through the first half proved a turning point.

Sunderland gradually took control and levelled early in the second half when Xhaka’s 20-yard effort took a deflection and flew past Jordan Pickford after Enzo Le FÊe’s shot was blocked.

Premier League | Sunderland v Everton | View from the stands

The hosts peppered Everton’s goal thereafter, registering 16 attempts following Barry’s miss, yet were unable to find a decisive breakthrough.

The result keeps Sunderland in the Champions League places after the opening quarter of the campaign, while Everton edge up to 14th, overtaking Fulham.

Sunderland fans respond to another positive performance

Nick: Disappointing not to take all three points, but to dominate a Premier League match like that is encouraging. We’ve spent much of the season playing on the counter, so to be so comfortably on the front foot shows how far this side has progressed.

Dean: The match turned completely after Barry’s miss around the half-hour mark. Everton’s confidence seemed to drain away, a reflection of their ongoing struggles up front. They could have snatched an unlikely winner in added time, but Alcaraz made the wrong call. A draw felt about right in the end.

Miles: As someone who watched Brian Clough play, I would say this Sunderland side and its management are among the best, right up there with the 1973 team and Peter Reid’s side with Quinn and Phillips. The difference now is the calm, structured approach from the top down, with smart recruitment and genuine respect for supporters by keeping prices reasonable. I’m actually looking forward to the Africa Cup of Nations to see how some of last year’s standout players perform on the Premier League stage.

Lamo: For the first time this season, they looked nervous and perhaps weighed down by the pressure of their strong start, especially during Everton’s impressive opening spell. Credit to them for fighting back though. Xhaka and Sadiki, poor in the first half, were excellent after the break. A 1-1 draw was a fair outcome.

The Everton perspective | How did Moyes feel after Sunderland return?

Everton manager David Moyes looked increasingly exasperated on the touchline as his side squandered a series of chances at the Stadium of Light.

Young striker Thierno Barry, making only his third Premier League start, played a part in the opener, battling to retain possession before Iliman Ndiaye raced clear to score. But the £27.5m summer signing failed to convert a close-range opportunity later in the half and was replaced by Beto after the break, marking the ninth successive league match in which Moyes has substituted his centre forward.

The manager’s frustration deepened when his side failed to take advantage of a two-on-one break in stoppage time, with substitute Carlos Alcaraz choosing the wrong option instead of sliding the ball through to Idrissa Gueye, who was clean through on goal.

It was a performance that reflected Everton’s season so far , a side capable of creating chances but lacking the composure to finish them. Jack Grealish would have claimed his fifth assist of the campaign had Barry converted his first-half cross from close range. No Premier League player has fashioned more open-play chances than Grealish this season, yet Everton’s tally of 10 goals is among the lowest in the division.

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