Sunderland’s rise from being held by the clutches of League One to now launching an assault towards the Premier League is a remarkable turnaround in such a short space of time.
Aside from being punished 4-0 by North East rivals Middlesbrough last time out, the Black Cats have been firing across all cylinders this term and that is down to their strong spine consisting of goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, centre-back Daniel Ballard, central midfielder Dan Neil, attacking midfielder Jobe Bellingham and winger Jack Clarke.
While that list of impressive young talent have become instrumental to their early promotion bid, other individuals in the squad perhaps haven’t eclipsed last season’s form and one of those is the talented Patrick Roberts.
How has Patrick Roberts performed this season?
Roberts was a key figure in Sunderland’s play-off campaign last term with Tony Mowbray labelling him as a “natural talent” for showcasing his abundance of skill and trickeryThe 26-year-old’s five goals and seven assists from the right flank were the most goal contributions he’d managed in a single campaign for an English club, perhaps an inclination that Roberts was threatening to reach the ceiling of his Premier League potential.
Praised by former manager Alex Neil for being a “little magician”, the Englishman has failed to back up that claim and sprinkle some more magic this season.
The fleet-footed winger has impressed with his stunning approach play, dazzling defenders with his precise dribbling and quick acceleration, ranking in the top 16% for progressive carries against his positional peers in the Championship this season, top 5% for successful take-ons and top 1% for carries into the final third, as per FBref.
