Sunderland maintained their unbeaten Premier League home run this season after grinding out a 1-1 draw against Everton at the Stadium of Light. The result means the Black Cats are still yet to taste defeat at home, while Everton’s struggles continue, having now won just one of their last eight games across all competitions, Softfootball reports
Sunderland came into the game riding high after their impressive 2-1 win over Chelsea last weekend, while Everton were desperate to bounce back from a humbling 3-0 home loss to Tottenham ,their first defeat at the newly opened Hill Dickson Stadium.
It had been eight years since these two sides last met in the Premier League, but Everton wasted no time settling in. Within seconds of kickoff, Jake O’Brien went close with a low drive that fizzed just wide. The Toffees’ early pressure soon paid off when Iliman Ndiaye pressed high to win the ball from Noah Sadiki, danced past two defenders, and curled a composed left-footed strike into the far corner to give the visitors the lead inside 15 minutes.
Sean Dyche’s men continued to threaten, with Jack Grealish rattling the post from distance and Thierno Barry missing a golden opportunity from close range. Sunderland, however, slowly grew into the game, and Daniel Ballard came inches away from equalizing when his effort was cleared off the line by Michael Keane just before the break.
The home side came flying out after halftime and got their reward almost instantly. Enzo Le Fée teed up Granit Xhaka on the edge of the box, and his powerful strike took a deflection off James Tarkowski before crashing in off the underside of the bar sending the Stadium of Light into a crazy frenzy.
The goal completely shifted momentum in Sunderland’s favor. Tony Mowbray’s side dominated possession and pinned Everton back for much of the second half, not allowing the visitors a single touch inside their box until the final ten minutes. Despite their control, Sunderland couldn’t find a winner, and the game settled into a cagey finish, with only Vitaliy Mykolenko testing either goalkeeper with a long-range effort.
After the game, Sunderland via its official X handle posted the manager full reaction to the draw which saw Sunderland remain in the top 4 on the premier league table. They posted:
While Sunderland couldn’t complete the comeback, the point was enough to lift them back into the top four, extending their impressive start to the season. Everton, on the other hand, will rue another missed opportunity as David Moyes’ side continues to search for consistency ahead of their next home clash with Fulham.
