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Why Luke O'Nien Deserves Sunderland Run After Stellar Leeds United Display
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- Why Luke O'Nien Deserves Sunderland Run After Stellar Leeds United Display
Has Luke O'Nien played his way into a Sunderland starting XI run?
Sunderland centre-back Luke O'Nien typified everything that the Black Cats should be about against Leeds United on Sunday, and has earned a starting run in Regis Le Bris's team as a result.
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In Sunderland's 0-0 draw with Leeds at the weekend, O'Nien retained his place in the starting XI after his quality performance against Polish champions Lech Poznan in the Europa League, and rightly so for his steely European display.
Clearly, the test was far tougher for the Sunderland fan-favourite against Daniel Farke's side on Sunday, with in-form striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin starting despite some injury concerns regarding a bruised foot before the Stadium of Light affair.
Within the goalless stalemate, O'Nien was a standout performer for Sunderland in the heart of defence, with his defensive performance pivotal to the Black Cats retaining their first Premier League clean sheet since late August.
When analysing his performance and the current context of Le Bris' Sunderland squad, there is a strong case to be made for double-promotion hero O'Nien to enjoy a rare, lengthy starting run in red-and-white.
Luke O'Nien tackles Dominic Calvert-Lewin during Sunderland vs Leeds (IMAGO / Sports Press Photo)
Luke O'Nien Has Earned Sunderland Starting XI Run
Against Farke's side, O'Nien enjoyed an outstanding performance at the back, with the Sunderland centre-half having the most defensive contributions of any player on the field at an incredible 17.
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O'Nien made 16 clearances against the Whites, the second-most by any player in a Premier League game this season, according to Squawka data.
Moreover, 11 of which were headed clearances, with no Premier League player recording more in a single match so far this season, with O'Nien also winning 100 percent of his ground duels to help Sunderland secure a much-needed clean sheet.
In addition, the Stadium of Light veteran was also typically impressive in helping the progression of possession for Sunderland on the left side, with seven line-breaking passes and seven passes into the final third.
| Key statistic |
Luke O'Nien vs Leeds United |
|---|---|
| Defensive contributions |
17 |
| Clearances |
16 |
| Headed clearances |
11 |
| Ground duels won |
3/3 |
| Aerial duels won |
2/4 |
In a direct battle against Calvert-Lewin, O'Nien limited the former Everton frontman to just one touch in the Sunderland box and zero shots on Robin Roefs' goal, leading to the Leeds striker losing all seven of his duels throughout the game.
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Statistics aside, it was a timely display of defensive rigidity for Sunderland, and O'Nien's display typified the performance that looked much more in the mould of what got Le Bris' side into Europe, with sheer grit and determination at the back providing a foundation for their play.
Admittedly, there was some alarming moments for O'Nien, namely an occasional tustle with Calvert-Lewin in the penalty box, and an unfortunate collision with Nordi Mukiele ending his central defensive teammate's afternoon prematurely on the 52nd-minute mark due to injury.
However, with Dan Ballard injured, and both Omar Alderete and Kevin Danso struggling for form in recent weeks, O'Nien's performance against Poznan and particularly versus Leeds on Sunday has certainly earned him a run in the Sunderland defence.
His comfortability in possession, combined with his defensive accumen that kept the Leeds attack at bay on Sunday, makes him an extremely useful option for Le Bris, and those types of performances will only give credence as to why he should be seen as more than just a squad depth option.
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If so, then the onus is on O'Nien to prove his doubters within the Stadium of Light stands wrong, by making sure his Leeds outing was not an outstanding anomaly and proving his Premier League credentials on a consistent basis.
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