"Patrolling in front of defence, Xhaka maintained constant dialogue with his colleagues, encouraging, directing into position, veering into the territory of player-manager. When Eliezer Mayenda scored the Sunderland goal, Xhaka clenched his fists in triumph, celebrating with Le Bris before heading to the away fans."
"For Bournemouth, it was a wholly preventable goal, Habib Diarra had been shown inside from Dan Ballard's pass, and their goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic could only direct the ball into Mayenda's path."
"The previous week's goalless draw at West Ham had forced a rethink in attack, with Evanilson benched. That plan was torn up at half-time, the Brazilian coming on to grab the equaliser, Andoni Iraola's in-game management coming up trumps."
Sunderland traveled 700 miles to face Bournemouth, with captain Granit Xhaka returning to the starting lineup for the first time since 17 January. The match ended 1-1, halting Sunderland's slump that began in mid-December. Eliezer Mayenda scored for Sunderland after Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic made an error, directing the ball into his path. Bournemouth equalized in the second half when Evanilson came on at half-time and scored. Xhaka demonstrated leadership throughout, maintaining constant communication with teammates and directing play from his defensive position. Sunderland started strongly with early chances, though a potential penalty claim was correctly waved away. Both teams showed defensive vulnerabilities, with goalkeeping errors nearly proving costly.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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