“I felt a bit sorry for him,” said Marco Gabbiadini, following Habib Diarra‘s attempted chip over Emi Martinez with Sunderland drawing 3-3 with Aston Villa.
It was an unusual choice, and no mistake, especially when the Black Cats were neck-and-neck with the Villans at Villa Park. They had staged an almighty comeback, scoring twice late on to level the scores, and Diarra felt a wave of frustration when Tammy Abraham left the visitors crestfallen as he popped up with a last-gasp goal.
Still. It’s not the end of the world. Regis Le Bris‘ side still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe on their much-anticipated return to the Premier League, and they are sitting pretty ahead of Newcastle United, four points clear of their rivals.
Much of this is down to Le Bris’ coaching, more relaxed than some of his other tactical contemporaries. Last summer’s transfer business has also been instrumental, but Diarra, the club-record signing from Strasbourg, continues to leave something to be desired.
How Diarra is getting on at Sunderland
Diarra is a talented attacking midfielder with the potential to become one of the standout stars at Sunderland, maybe even attracting the interest of those at the top of the European pyramid.
He’s only 22 years old, and it’s not as if he isn’t bringing anything to the table. There is a reason, after all, that Le Bris has started him across Sunderland’s past ten Premier League matches, so energetic and tenacious. However, he needs to offer more substantial returns if the Wearsiders are going to get bang for their buck.
Diarra is not an essential cog, not yet, and as the Black Cats prepare to host Nottingham Forest at the Stadium of Light on Friday evening, maybe Le Bris could play a trump card by shuffling the pack.
|
Habib Diarra in the Premier League |
|
|---|---|
|
Stats (* Per 90) |
# |
|
Matches (starts) |
16 (14) |
|
Goals + Assists |
2 + 1 |
|
Touches* |
36.0 |
|
Shots (on target)* |
1.3 (0.5) |
|
Accurate passes* |
20.1 (81%) |
|
Big chances created |
0 |
|
Key passes* |
0.3 |
|
Succ. dribbles* |
0.3 (28%) |
|
Ball recoveries* |
2.5 |
|
Tackles + interceptions* |
1.1 |
|
Duels won* |
3.2 (48%) |
A key pass is a pass that directly leads to a shot at the opponent’s goal.
After all, he has a rising star who might be perfect from a reworked role at number ten.
Le Bris could replace Diarra with Sunderland’s new Bellingham
Jobe Bellingham left Sunderland for Borussia Dortmund last summer, following in his brother’s footsteps, and it felt like the Black Cats had lost their starboy.
However, Chris Rigg has passed his opening tests in the Premier League with flying colours, and it certainly looks like the 18-year-old is the future face of this project.
Having dispatched his first top-flight goal at Aston Villa, a sumptuous strike on his favoured left foot, Rigg is riding the crest of a wave for a Sunderland side who are pushing for a top-ten finish.
Typically found down the right wing, he has played from central positions in the past, and his performances this season suggest he has the physicality and turn of pace to tussle and succeed against centre-backs and tough-tackling central midfielders.
After all, he has won 56% of his ground battles in the Premier League this season, also completing 55% of his dribbles. What does that tell us? Well, it confirms that Rigg is already more than just a scorer, someone who can affect different phases of play and excel in high-intensity situations, actually playing in deep-lying midfield roles in the Championship.
Rigg is a “special talent“, as it has been put by Sky Sports reporter Dougie Critchley, someone who could become a leading player in the Premier League. In that, he has emerged as Sunderland’s new version of Bellingham, and it feels like this prospect might hope to stay for the long haul.
|
Chris Riggs’ Sunderland Career by Position |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Apps |
Goals + Assists |
|
Centre-midfield |
29 |
4 + 0 |
|
Attacking midfield |
27 |
1 + 3 |
|
Right winger |
21 |
3 + 1 |
|
Defensive midfield |
10 |
1 + 0 |
|
Left winger |
3 |
1 + 1 |
|
Centre-forward |
1 |
0 + 0 |
Just how Rigg will develop is yet to be decided, but he has the potential to thrive as a devastating wide forward and a progressive and creative ten.
It’s probably time for Le Bris to drop Diarra from Sunderland’s starting line-up. Maybe that will give the Senegalese talent a kickstart.
Rigg has the wind in his sails all right, and Le Bris needs to adjust the rigging in his Sunderland ship and make a change to advance even further at the end of this fantastic campaign.
Le Bris can drop O’Nien by unleashing Sunderland’s new version of Xhaka
Sunderland’s defensive flaws were exposed after being beaten in a seven-goal thriller with Aston Villa.
