Sunderland might be sitting pretty at the top of the Championship table at this moment in time, but Regis Le Bris’ men are without a win in their last three in the unpredictable division.
Of course, they also haven’t lost, as a trio of draws have greeted the table-topping Black Cats, with the most recent 2-2 draw against Coventry City stinging somewhat considering Sunderland were two goals to the good up until the 62nd-minute mark.
Without more magic from sharpshooter Wilson Isidor in this score draw, however, Sunderland could have been tasting defeat, as the Frenchman continues to excite the Stadium of Light masses.
Isidor's performances this season
Le Bris has experimented in recent matches with who leads the line for his promotion-chasing outfit, with free transfer recruit Aaron Connolly placed up top versus Preston North End at the start of the month.
It was a sorry showing from the ex-Hull City man, as the new Sunderland number 24 only managed a shocking nine touches of the ball at Deepdale, with Isidor reinstated as the Black Cats’ main striker thereafter.
With stylish finishes like this one becoming customary from the 24-year-old, the Zenit St. Petersburg loanee is slowly but surely turning into a fan’s favourite on Wearside, with this stunning first-time strike against the managerless Sky Blues taking his Championship goal tally up to a promising five.
Sunderland will just hope he can keep up this electric form as the season wears on and games become far tenser in the midst of a promotion race, knowing that a former academy prodigy at the Stadium of Light is currently outperforming him in the same league.
The player who is outperforming Isidor
Stating recently that he still supports Sunderland, having never lost his boyhood connection to the Black Cats, Sam Greenwood is one talent that the Wearside outfit will lament never giving senior opportunities to when he was still at the club.
The Sunderland-born attacker would be poached by Arsenal at a young age in 2018, having picked up six goals and six assists from 15 Mackems appearances at U18 level.
He would only end up lasting a year in the Gunners academy set-up before Leeds snapped him up, where goals aplenty came his way in the U21 fold in West Yorkshire, which included a sublime free-kick taking aback Whites fans on social media in 2021.
22 goals in the U21 set-up hasn’t quite resulted in him making waves in the first team at Daniel Farke’s men, however, with only strike from 35 first-team clashes, leading to many loan moves taking him away from the second-tier giants.
On the books at Preston is where Greenwood is currently shining, with more goal contributions this campaign than Isidor has managed when pulling on a Sunderland strip, as Lilywhites supporters have a new hero in attack to latch onto.
The one-time Black Cats youngster has amassed five goals and one assist in all competitions for Paul Heckingbottom’s team this season, whilst his French counterpart is one goal contribution shy, with five strikes picked up but zero assists registered for his teammates.
Preston
16
5
1
Middlesbrough
38
5
3
Also starring with Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough last campaign, it’s clear that Greenwood would be able to offer Le Bris’ men something if he was back at his boyhood club today, with the 22-year-old capable of playing up top where Isidor is shining, or across many midfield spots if needs be.
The door hasn’t been slammed completely shut on his time at Leeds too, with Farke once stating that Greenwood has “unbelievable” skills up his sleeve, as Sunderland are left to ponder whether he could be starring next to fellow homegrown gems such as Chris Rigg and Daniel Neil in an alternate reality.
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