Granit Xhaka netted his first goal for Sunderland as they battled from a goal down to claim a 1-1 draw against Everton, a result that lifted them into fourth place in the Premier League.
Everton began the match with real intent, and Iliman Ndiaye opened the scoring with a superb individual effort. Picking up possession on the right wing, he dribbled past several defenders before firing beyond the helpless goalkeeper.
The visitors looked in complete control as Jack Grealish struck the post, and Sunderland struggled to get out of their half. But the turning point came in the 28th minute when Thierno Barry somehow missed an open goal from close range — a moment that shifted the game’s momentum entirely.
From that point onward, the Black Cats dominated play and pinned Everton back for most of the remaining time.
Xhaka’s influence grows as Sunderland take charge
Former Arsenal midfielder Xhaka, who joined Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, has already made a major impact with his leadership and consistency. Against Everton, he added his first goal in a red-and-white shirt — a deflected long-range strike early in the second half after Enzo Le Fee’s shot had been blocked.
That equalizer capped Sunderland’s growing confidence. After Barry’s missed chance, the home side unleashed 16 consecutive attempts on goal without reply. Though none were particularly clear-cut, the pressure was relentless.
Tony Mowbray’s men have now recovered from losing positions to collect eight points this season — a sign of their resilience and belief. Had they converted one of their later chances, they could have moved up to second place in the table.
Everton’s attacking woes continue
Everton’s problems in front of goal remain glaring. Their two main forwards have managed just one goal between them all season. Beto, the scorer of that solitary strike, started on the bench, with Barry preferred from the outset — but the switch brought no improvement.
Barry’s glaring miss from inside the six-yard box, after being picked out perfectly by Grealish, summed up Everton’s frustrations. The £27m summer arrival from Villarreal has yet to find the net in England, and this was his best opportunity so far.
Once Sunderland gained control, Everton’s threat evaporated. Aside from a late attempt by Vitalii Mykolenko, they rarely troubled the hosts again.
David Moyes, returning to face his former club, has now seen his side win just one of their past eight league fixtures — a run that leaves Everton hovering near the lower reaches of the table.
