Sunderland have equalled their finest begin to a Premier League season and subsequent they host an Everton group who’ve gained simply as soon as in six matches.
BBC Sport examines a number of the key themes going into Monday’s sport on the Stadium of Gentle.
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Sunderland’s superlative begin
Sunderland head into match spherical 10 having made their joint-best begin to a Premier League season.
Seventeen factors from 9 video games equals the efforts of the 1999-2000 facet of Peter Reid, who went on to complete seventh, and represents the sixth-best begin by any promoted facet in Premier League historical past.
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On this event, the mastermind of Sunderland’s wonderful begin has been Regis le Bris. The 49-year-old has confounded expectations since he was appointed in July 2024 as an unheralded substitute for Michael Beale.
Le Bris had simply been relegated from Ligue 1 with Lorient in his earlier function however proved to be a right away success on Wearside, ending Sunderland’s eight-year exile from the highest flight by beating within the play-off closing after which guiding his facet to the lofty heights of the Premier League’s high 4.
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One purpose for Sunderland’s nice begin is the relentless working of their two central midfielders – Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki have lined extra floor than some other gamers within the Premier League this season.
The pair price Sunderland £28m this summer time – £13m for Xhaka, £15m for Sadiki – which already appears to be an actual cut price for gamers so integral to Sunderland’s sturdy begin.
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Toffees coming unstuck in assault
Sunderland subsequent face an Everton facet who’ve dropped off following a constructive begin of their very own.
The Toffees have gained simply one in every of their final six Premier League video games, dropping 2-0 in opposition to and 3-0 in opposition to of their ast two outings.
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Everton’s failure to attain in these matches is the most recent signal of a wider malaise. Whereas Everton have been profitable in recruiting the likes of Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Corridor through the summer time, the Merseysider’s squad nonetheless lacks an elite centre ahead.
Beto and Thierno Barry, David Moyes’ present two choices at quantity 9, have scored as soon as between them in 18 Premier League appearances.
Grealish at present tops the Premier League rankings for creating probabilities from open play (19) however as a group, Everton merely aren’t taking these probabilities.
They’ve scored 9 targets from an anticipated targets tally of 12.4 , with solely and underperforming to a higher extent in entrance of aim.
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The Toffees have already misplaced at promoted Leeds this season and one other defeat on the Stadium of Gentle would consign Everton to a few successive losses beneath Moyes for the primary time since October 2011, whereas they have not misplaced three in a row beneath the Scotsman with out scoring in 20 years.