Sunderland Fans were expecting to see their side put Plymouth Argyle to the sword one final time out with the Pilgrims deep in a relegation battle in the championship.
Instead, the final result was a dramatic 2-2 draw as the humble visitors from Devon showed more fight and quality than Regis Press The men were expecting to head into the clash.
While Wilson Isidore gets a grade in this action-packed affair, the Black Cats are still in the hunt to add a new powerful striker before the transfer window closes, with Frenchman Ross Stewart potentially discovering character in the process.
Ross Stewart's heroics for Sunderland
The Black Cats struggled seriously last season in the wake of Stewart no longer being around, as he ended up being their top goalscorer this season. 15 strokes Although now the Ipswich City man is stepping up as a winger.
This campaign, an exciting striker has arguably finally been snapped up in the form of Isidor, but Zenit St Petersburg's loan move has still managed to clear the waters. 14 great opportunities In action in the league – including missing two penalties at Burnley. Despite that, he still has it He scored nine times in 26 competitions.
Conversely, during Stewart's final campaign wearing Sunderland's red and white, the impressive Scot managed an even more impressive home run. 26 strokes In total, with a missed amount of great opportunities Coming on the 23rd He eventually forgot.
From 13 league appearances the following season – even when battling injury difficulties – Stewart also managed to fire a ridiculous home run Ten strokeswith Le Bris wanting a similarly lethal striker in the mold of the 28-year-old in the here and now away from a hot and cold presence at times.
Sunderland pressing the EFL goal machine
According to a recent report from the French director Football marketSunderland are pushing to sign Ajax centre-forward Chuba Akpom this window in a bid to bolster their striker options.
Ligue 1's Lille and Lens are both interested in the former youth product too, with the Dutch media giving this ongoing transfer saga as Algemeen Dagblad – as relayed by Watch sports – He stated that AKPOM had “no interest” in uprooting Sunderland away from Amsterdam.
But, Akpom could be convinced to return to English shores if he seeks a confidence boost in front of goal, having only been released home. Three strikes eredivisie During 2024/25 so far he is far from his previous heroics in the Championship.
After all, when he was last succeeding at the level, the 29-year-old was going with second-tier defenses when pulling on the tape for Middlesbrough, where the second-tier Golden Boot came proudly. Such a great shape Michael Carrick describes the striker as a 'fantastic' player.
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AKPOM League Numbers for Boro (22/23) |
|
|---|---|
|
STAT (* = per game) |
atmosphere |
|
Games played |
38 |
|
Goals scored |
28 |
|
Helps |
2 |
|
Screenshots* |
2.6 |
|
Scoring frequency |
111 minutes |
|
Great missed opportunities |
17 |
|
Great opportunities created |
2 |
|
statistics Sofascore |
|
Looking at the table above, it's clear why AKPOM was chosen as one of Sunderland's transfer priorities with the 6ft tall striker helping himself to an incredible 28 strikes from 38 league appearances during 2022/23, which then led to his key move to Ajax.
These kinds of numbers have not been seen at the Stadium of Light since the productive days of Stewart, and with AKPOM arriving on the scene, Isidor is sure to take a back seat until the new recruit shines.
While the 29-year-old looks as though he will need some convincing to make the move, Sunderland must go out of their way to try and snap up Ajax's number ten, with Le Bris able to add more quality to help his side's promotion chances.
