Sunderland's Granit Xhaka scored his first Premier League goal as the Black Cats battled back to earn a 1-1 draw against Everton at the Stadium of Light. The Swiss midfielder netted in the second half, cancelling out Dominic Calvert-Lewin's early strike and securing a crucial point for Steve Bruce's side.
The match had gotten off to a lively start, with Calvert-Lewin opening the scoring for the Toffees after 20 minutes. However, Sunderland responded well to the setback, creating several clear-cut chances that ultimately led to Xhaka's equalising goal in the 72nd minute. The midfielder collected a pass on the edge of the box, turned his marker, and fired a low shot past Tom Davies in the Everton goal.
The win moves Sunderland up to fourth place in the Premier League table, while Everton remain in seventh position. Xhaka's goal marked an important milestone for the 30-year-old, who had previously struggled to find the back of the net in his Sunderland career. His strike will give him hope that he can build on this form and become a key player for Bruce's side.
The result was a hard-fought draw for both teams, with neither able to gain a clear advantage over the other. Despite the close scoreline, it was Sunderland who looked more determined to secure three points, and their perseverance ultimately paid off in the end.
The match had gotten off to a lively start, with Calvert-Lewin opening the scoring for the Toffees after 20 minutes. However, Sunderland responded well to the setback, creating several clear-cut chances that ultimately led to Xhaka's equalising goal in the 72nd minute. The midfielder collected a pass on the edge of the box, turned his marker, and fired a low shot past Tom Davies in the Everton goal.
The win moves Sunderland up to fourth place in the Premier League table, while Everton remain in seventh position. Xhaka's goal marked an important milestone for the 30-year-old, who had previously struggled to find the back of the net in his Sunderland career. His strike will give him hope that he can build on this form and become a key player for Bruce's side.
The result was a hard-fought draw for both teams, with neither able to gain a clear advantage over the other. Despite the close scoreline, it was Sunderland who looked more determined to secure three points, and their perseverance ultimately paid off in the end.
That low shot past Davies was so precise, I'm still in awe 
. It's about time he scored a goal for Sunderland, his team, and it's great to see him finally breaking through 
. The way he collected that pass and turned his marker was pure magic 
. Now, let's hope this form carries on and Xhaka becomes a regular scorer for the Black Cats 
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. nowadays they're like 4th place in the league lol what happened? xhaka's goal was awesome though! that guy's been playing for them for ages and he finally scores a premier league goal 
. bruce seems like a solid manager, can't say much about him since i've been watching from afar 
. anyway, it's always nice to see Sunderland doing better than expected 
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i think xhaka's goal was the turning point for sunderland. they needed someone to step up and that's exactly what he did. i'm glad he finally broke his duck for the team, now let's see if they can keep this form going 
. personally i think sunderland is being underrated this season, they've got some great talent and steve Bruce knows how to get the best out of them 
I mean, the way he collected that pass on the edge of the box and just slot it past Davies was magic 
The Toffees were all over the place in this one 
This result moves Sunderland up to 4th and I'm loving every minute of it 
he's been carrying that team for so long and its about time he got on the scoresheet lol. i was on the edge of my seat when he slotted it past davies, my nerves were shattered 
. And what a result for Sunderland - they really showed their team spirit 
. They deserved that point, especially after going behind early on 
. Bruce must be thrilled to see Xhaka finally getting on the scoresheet 
sunderland's form has been pretty hit & miss all season but with xhaka finding his footing, i think they might just be able to pull off something special 
and a total game-changer for him. He's been working so hard to break through that goal drought and it's awesome to see him finally scoring one. The way he collected the pass, turned his marker, and slotted it past Tom Davies was just seamless 
. I'm loving how Steve Bruce is getting the best out of his players and Xhaka's form is now giving them a massive boost 
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. Granit Xhaka's been with Sunderland for ages, but he's finally found his rhythm and scored his first Premier League goal, now let's see if he can keep it up 
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️ steve bruce must be over the moon with the result, gets him out of trouble 4 now 
30 years old and he finally scores a Premier League goal?!?! It's like he was born yesterday! I mean, I've been saying it for ages, but Sunderland needs players like him who can turn games around in an instant. And to think, he's been struggling to score all this time... it's just heartbreaking thinking about the fans' disappointment. But this is a new chapter for Granit, and I'm SO here for it! 
. Like, have you noticed how he just happened to be in the right position at the edge of the box? That's no coincidence! The system must've been set up for him to score 
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. He must've been talking to Xhaka's coach or something because those passes he was making were like they had a secret plan 
. I mean, it's all about controlling the narrative, folks! They want us to think Sunderland won fair and square, but we know better 