In this round of the Premier League, Sunderland defeated Chelsea 2-1. "The Sun" wrote an article praising Sunderland coach Regis Lebris as the "new Arsene Wenger" for turning Sunderland into a dark horse in the league.
Reports pointed out that Le Bris' team-building ideas are similar to Wenger's early days, relying on "smart scouting work" and trust in those undervalued players. Although the club spent a whopping 161 million pounds to introduce 14 new players last summer, setting a record for newly promoted teams, these signings are not a blind waste of money.
The team signed players with a "winner mentality" such as former Paris champion Mukiler and Belgian Cup champion Talbi. LeBris successfully knitted these diverse players into a team.
In the 2-1 win over Chelsea in the away game, as many as nine players in Sunderland's squad were new summer signings, and the winning goal was jointly planned by three new signings, Heitreida, Brobby and goal scorer Talby. Isido, the striker who opened the scoring, only scored 1 goal for Zenit two seasons ago. Now he has become the team's sharpest striker. His celebrations have even been compared with Henry. Goalkeeper Loew and defender Mukiele, who are only 22 years old, are also important signings in the summer window.
The article particularly emphasized the central role of former Arsenal captain Xhaka. Although he was ridiculed when he left Champions League team Bayer Leverkusen to join the newly promoted team, the 33-year-old Swiss midfielder played a "reborn" role for Sunderland. He not only led the team in assists and created opportunities, but was also the "most combative person" in the midfield and the "heart and brain" of the team.