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Why last year's overachievers are struggling
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- Why last year's overachievers are struggling
Regis le Bris' Sunderland were undoubtedly last season's surprise package, but they were also among the Premier League's biggest overperformers.
The Black Cats scored three more goals and conceded six fewer than their expected goals (xG) figures would have predicted.
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They ranked towards the bottom of the league for possession and both the volume and quality of their shots, but stood out in defence.
Only Burnley and West Ham faced more attempts at goal, but the Wearsiders often restricted opponents to low-quality opportunities.
The average xG of the shots they faced was the second lowest in the league, while their save percentage of almost 72% was the second highest. That helps explain how Sunderland conceded the fourth-fewest number of goals despite facing the third-most amount of shots.
[BBC]
It has been a very different story this season. Le Bris' side have gone from allowing the second-lowest xG per shot to the second highest.
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The number of shots they face per game is almost unchanged, but opponents are creating far better chances. That has left goalkeeper Robin Roefs exposed, with Sunderland's 50% save rate the lowest in the top flight.
That defensive decline has been compounded by profligacy at the other end. The Black Cats rank 10th for xG but have scored six goals fewer than expected, making them among the Premier League's most wasteful finishers.
It was only five months ago that Sunderland became the first team promoted as play-off winners to qualify for Europe since Ipswich Town in 2001. But the Tractor Boys were relegated the following season and the Black Cats risk following suit unless Le Bris can address their problems at both ends.
