Sunderland’s Sky Bet Championship opener against Derby County generated plenty of talking points.
From Lee Cattermole’s dominance to Lewis Grabban’s energy, the 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light was a solid opener and Simon Grayson took plenty of positives from his side's performance.
Here, Oscar Chamberlain delves a little deeper into what stood out and what, ultimately, led to a point and a platform to build from…
THE BOSS
Lee Cattermole was everywhere. The talismanic midfielder took the Sky Bet Championship by the scruff of the neck and he refused to let go from the first minute until the last. Captaining the side, Cattermole bossed the midfield to post a 100% success rate in tackling and headers won, while also notching 50 touches and a pass completion rate of 81%. The 29-year-old also made two key passes and had three attempts on goal, with a wonder save from Scott Carson denying him an opening-day goal.
Lee Cattermole's heat map
FREEDOM TO CREATE
Lewis Grabban has seemingly been given a license to thrill – and he did just that in his competitive debut. The on-loan AFC Bournemouth forward started in a central position but as the game progressed it was clear that he’d been given a free role, with his unpredictability causing problems for Derby as he popped up on both flanks and through the middle. A venomous volley early on set the tone before he dispatched a confident penalty past Carson, and he could very well have netted a winner in the second-half as a stunning drive crashed against the post.
Grabban cool from the spot
WAVE AFTER WAVE
Grabban wasn’t the only Black Cat to cause the Rams problems and in total the Lads registered 20 shots at goal. Derby, meanwhile, mustered 11 attempts but both sides lacked accuracy, with four shots on target per team. That said, the Sunderland manager is unlikely to be concerned by the amount of wayward attempts, with early-season rustiness expected as his new forwards continue to settle into their new surroundings.
The Lads registered 20 attempts at goal
PRESSURE COOKER
Grayson will have been equally pleased by the way his side controlled their play in the final third. The Lads saw more of the ball in the opening period although Derby’s late surge saw them edge the possession stats overall, but, crucially, far more of the play took place in the Rams’ defensive third than the Black Cats’. And rather than drop off and regroup, the tireless efforts of Grabban, Aiden McGeady and James Vaughan ensured wave after wave of attack struck the Derby backline - a tactic which is sure to yield rewards as the season progresses...
Sunderland enjoyed 30% of their possession inside the final third
