A worrying statistic has emerged pointing towards a major Sunderland weakness in the wake of their recent 1-0 defeat to Huddersfield.
Wednesday night’s performance by the Black Cats was much below expectations following their first loss in four games.
Once again, Sunderland‘s inability to handle Huddersfield’s threat during the game led to set pieces as Matty Pearson scored the game’s winning goal.
Undoubtedly, the loss dashes Michael Beale’s aspirations of making the playoffs at a time when the team appeared to be gathering steam. In their most recent comeback win, Sunderland defeated Plymouth 3-1 thanks to a strong second half performance.
They were initially able to qualify for the playoffs thanks to the victory, but Coventry has subsequently gained four points. The Black Cats have dropped to 10th place in the Championship table as a result of this and their most recent loss.
Following the loss, an unsettling figure surfaced that provides insight into why Sunderland has been below par in so many games this year.
Sunderland fail to deliver on the goal front
Even though Sunderland’s set pieces have been their worst asset this season, a new statistic has surfaced that highlights another issue. This season, the team has struggled mightily to score goals from the shots they take.
Only Leeds, Ipswich, and Southampton have more shots per ninety minutes than the Black Cats, according to FBref.
But these efforts aren’t yielding the desired results. Sunderland’s shot-to-goal ratio of 0.08 is the fourth worst in the Championship. With 0.25 goals per shot on target, the team also has the third-worst ratio.
Sunderland has underperformed their xG as a result of this. With a -3.3 thus far this season, the club is fourth poorest in the division.
The distance at which Beale’s side is shooting their shots is largely to blame for this. The average shot is being fired from 18.3 yards; Watford and Hully are the only ones with longer shots.
It was clear when playing Huddersfield. The visitors had 12 shots, five of which were on target but were not good enough to result in a goal despite their lack of opportunities.
Sunderland must improve if they are to get playoffs
If Sunderland wants to make the playoffs, their form at this point in the season is essential. It’s evident that the team still has a lot of problems, which Beale needs to prioritise fixing over the next months.
It is clear that Sunderland relies too much on Jack Clarke, and the other attackers on the team need to step up.
The Black Cats’ next matchup with Birmingham will provide them with the ideal opportunity to recover. The Blues are in a similar situation to Huddersfield, and a win might demonstrate that the loss on Wednesday night was just an isolated incident.
See more updates on https://sportupdates.co.uk/
Leave a Reply