Sunderland have signed a "genius" who's becoming their new Cattermole

da betobet： Sunderland fans would have been overjoyed with their side’s gritty efforts away at Crystal Palace in the Premier League last time out.

da apostebet： Often, 0-0 draws aren’t a favourite scoreline amongst supporters, but with two victories already under their belt on home turf, the travelling Black Cats army at Selhurst Park would have been delighted with the grit and fight shown against Oliver Glasner’s FA Cup holders.

The Wearside outfit arguably rolled back the years in South London to the days of Lee Cattermole, with the loyal Sunderland servant a constant battler during some tough times in the recent relegation-threatened history of the club.

Cattermole's leadership presence at Sunderland

Before Sunderland embarked on a few dire seasons in the EFL wilderness, Cattermole was a Premier League regular for the Black Cats.

The now-retired 37-year-old even lined up for Sunderland as they competed all the way down in League One, which certainly proves how loyal he was during troubling times on Wearside. However, away from these later difficulties, the no-nonsense midfielder is mostly remembered for his Premier League minutes donning the famous red and white stripes.

170 of Cattermole’s 272 overall Premier League appearances would fall at the Stadium of Light, with Steve Bruce’s comments – after signing the former number six – more than coming true, with the ex-Black Cats boss once stating that his midfield anchor possesses a “real bite” in his game.

Looking over his wider top-flight statistics certainly proves that he was a crucial warrior for Sunderland’s cause time after time, often as relegation threatened them, with a staggering 1152 duels won in total from his 272 Premier League outings. That’s a mighty 4.2 per match.

On top of that, the “true leader” – as he was further affectionately labelled by ex-teammate Craig Gardner – also managed to collect six goals and assists across his long-standing career at the very top, with the confrontational midfielder more of a varied performer than first anticipated.

Regis Le Bris might well have his own iteration of Cattermole in the here and now when assessing his current troops, especially after they put in such a plucky performance on the road at Palace.

Le Bris' very own Cattermole

As much as Sunderland would gain various plaudits across the summer window for flashy purchases up top, with that continuing right until the very end with the £21.6m pick-up of Brian Brobbey, the Black Cats also look to have hit gold with some attritional new members to the squad.

Indeed, Nordi Mukiele has looked ready-made for any relegation dog-fight that awaits him since moving to the Stadium of Light for £12m, with three aerial duels won against the Eagles completely shutting down Jean Philippe Mateta’s effectiveness.

Granit Xhaka has also stood out for his battling nature in the middle of the park – winning a high seven duels per match from four Premier League contests.

But, despite his ability to influence play in the final third, something Cattermole didn’t really provide, that duel-winning ability and his leadership certainly evoke memories of Sunderland’s former midfield battler.

Indeed, his equal mix of grit and captaincy has already made him a firm fan favourite among the die-hard Sunderland masses in an even more similar fashion to Cattermole, with Sky Sports’ Don Goodman heralding the signing as a “genius” move, having even more significant weight behind it now.

Xhaka’s PL numbers for Sunderland

Stat

Xhaka

Games played

4

Goals scored

0

Assists

1

Passes completed

261 (85%)

Total duels won

28

Aerial duels won

17

Stats by the Premier League

Arguably, Le Bris’ decision to immediately hand the Switzerland international the captain’s armband has only elevated his commitment to brawl and compete for his new employers, having once been dubbed a “natural leader” by his former Arsenal manager in Mikel Arteta.

The table above certainly strengthens that claim. He has already won 28 duels from 360 minutes of action, with Xhaka now looking to see out his playing days in style on Wearside to try and be fondly remembered in the same light as the demanding Englishman.

Already, he seems to have won over the Black Cats fans, with survival achieved at the first time of asking, no doubt only making him even more loved, alongside Le Bris’ other instantly likeable personnel.