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David Moyes, the manager who oversaw a disastrous relegation for Sunderland eight years ago, found a very different club on his first return to the Stadium of Light. Back then, Sunderland were on a downward slope. Now, things are on the up.
Régis Le Bris’ impressive Sunderland moved up to fourth place ahead of Saturday’s home game against Arsenal after a 1-1 draw against Moyes’ Everton side. A deflected strike from the impressive Granit Xhaka cancelled out Iliman Ndiaye’s brilliant opening goal.
Everton had dominated much of the first half, and will have counted themselves unfortunate not to be further ahead at the break, with Sunderland uncharacteristically having been on the back foot on home turf for the first half hour. It was a different story after the break, as Sunderland laid siege to the Everton goal, but they could not force a winner.
Still, the result moved the home side up to 18 points, almost halfway to safety, with just 10 games gone. That is a remarkable feat for a team which had been expected to be competing further down the table. They will face its biggest top-flight challenge yet when Mikel Arteta brings the Premier League leaders to Wearside.
Moyes had taken charge of Sunderland at short notice in the summer of 2016 for what would prove to be a long and troubled season after Sam Allardyce left to take charge of England. Moyes would last longer at the Stadium of Light than Allardyce would at the Football Association, but the injury-ravaged campaign did not end well. Sunderland bought badly, and the season ended badly. The team went down with just 24 points – and Moyes resigned.
Another relegation followed and, in the dark days of Sunderland’s four-year stay in League One, it would have been hard for fans to imagine the club competing in the upper echelons of the Premier League given they were struggling to compete where they were in the pyramid.
Ahead of the game, Moyes said that he had a “good time” on Wearside, despite suffering the only relegation of his managerial career. Fans remember the campaign less fondly. Le Bris named an unchanged side, while Moyes fielded Thierno Barry up front rather than Beto after his side had gone two games without a goal.
A goal was not long in coming for Everton and Barry played his part. Iliman Ndiaye took the ball on the right with the help of Barry and raced towards the box. He superbly evaded three challenges before getting the ball on to his left foot and opening the scoring with a shot which stunned Robin Roefs, the Sunderland goalkeeper.
Jack Grealish, a threat from the left, struck the post from 20 yards during a dominant spell for Everton. Sunderland struggled to get hold of the ball for the first 30 minutes, but they rallied late in the half, and Everton scrambled the ball away after Dan Ballard headed a ball from Nordi Mukiele towards goal. Even so, the former Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, making his first appearance at the stadium since leaving the same summer as Moyes, did not face a first-half shot on target.
Sunderland, though, do not give up. The slogan of last season’s Championship playoff run was “Til The End”, and they were back level a minute after the restart. Pickford was helpless after James Tarkowski inadvertently diverted a shot from Granit Xhaka past him after Enzo Le Fée had teed up Sunderland’s captain on the edge of the box.
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Pickford did well to stop a strike from Le Fée which bounced off Wilson Isidor. Everton were rocking, as was the Stadium of Light, and Moyes replaced Barry with Beto. Every Sunderland challenge was greeted with a roar as, time and again, the home side quickly won the ball back after losing possession. They kept on pressing for a second goal and one long throw from Mukiele caused panic.
Everton struggled to break out of their half as Le Bris’ side attacked relentlessly. Moyes made a second change, Dwight McNeil replaced Ndiaye, during a sticky spell, but the ball just would not stick up front for them.
The pressure was constant as Le Bris’ side sensed a win, but Everton kept Sunderland out as the home support willed their team on. The visitors somehow did not come unstuck. Mukiele headed over from close range before Le Bris sent on Brian Brobbey and Chemsdine Talbi to give his side an added edge in the last 10 minutes.
Everton, though, found some late legs and pushed for a winner of their own, but both sides had to be content with a draw.
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