Sunderland will travel down to Tom Cleverley’s Watford today hoping to pick up their sixth victory of the Championship season already.
It won’t be completely straightforward, however, as Regis Le Bris’ side did display worrying chinks in their armour in their last away contest in the league, with Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle surprisingly getting the better of their high flying opponents in a 3-2 loss.
The Frenchman will have been pleased to see his side get back to winning ways against Middlesbrough last time out, however, as 17-year-old Chris Rigg stole the show with the winning strike.
Rigg's performance vs Boro
The teenage sensation continues to shine under the guidance of the former Lorient boss, with the Sunderland number 11 particularly impressive against Michael Carrick’s Boro in an attacking midfield role.
Rigg would cleverly tap home a scramble in the box to give his side the advantage they needed in the tight contest, with Eliezer Mayenda up top failing to fire a single effort on the Boro goal, away from the bright midfielder winning the even clash.
Moreover, the Sunderland academy product would rarely misplace a pass when the ball was at his feet, with a calmness present in his game even as the clock ticked nervously ticked down, as just two of his 19 passes in the lunchtime kick-off went astray.
Winning his fair share of duels too, with seven won in total, Rigg really helped his side pick up a slender win to get back on track in the tricky division, after a minor bump in the road in Devon.
Rigg would even be described post-match as a “symbol” of Sunderland’s young and hungry mindset by his manager, with the teenager nailed on for a starting spot against Watford today, even with his French boss bringing him off towards the end of the 1-0 win.
Whilst the promising midfielder will be assured of his starting spot, Daniel Ballard will be wary about his chances of breaking back into the Sunderland first-team mix, as his replacement for the Boro win in Chris Mepham excelled on his Black Cats debut.
Mepham's performance vs Boro
Ballard was judged only to be fit enough to make up a space on the Sunderland substitutes bench against Carrick’s away side, with Mepham then making the most of his moment in the Black Cats’ starting lineup.
The Welshman will be viewed as a very shrewd acquisition on loan, with the AFC Bournemouth loanee well versed in what it takes to compete in the second tier, having accumulated 90 Championship appearances on his career CV to date.
Stat
Mepham
Minutes played
90
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Touches
44
Accurate passes
30/36 (83%)
Key passes
1
Clearances
4
Blocked shots
2
Total duels won
3/4
Mepham slotted into the Sunderland set-up effortlessly, with the visitors kept at an arm’s length throughout courtesy of the new number 26 shining, and also Luke O’Nien battling away valiantly for the full 90 minutes.
The Cherries loanee would block two shots that came his way in the tight clash, alongside managing to win three duels, and so it would feel harsh now to reinstate Ballard back into the main XI over the impressive 26-year-old.
Ballard will get chances again across the full campaign, but Mepham will be hard to shake, with Roker Report writer Andy Tomlinson waxing lyrical about the centre-back post-match.
Tomlinson would dish out a high 8/10 rating to the new Sunderland face on his debut, stating that the imposing 6 foot 4 defender read the game ‘superbly’ to play his part in the Wearside outfit picking up a hard-fought three points.
The Wales international will have to think about his future in the summer when it comes to his permanent employers on the South Coast, but will revel in getting more game-time at the Stadium of Light for the remainder of this season, having showcased early scenes that he could be a regular fixture in the starting lineup, much like young Rigg.
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