Sunderland: The Black Cats target more after reaching 40 points

Granit Xhaka has been a key part of Sunderland’s impressive season.

The former Arsenal midfielder was one of a number of summer signings made by the Black Cats, but he was arguably the most influential, with his experience and leadership in many games.

Having recently returned from injury, Xhaka started on the bench against Leeds before coming on just before the hour mark – and it was no coincidence that Sunderland, having been the second best team up to that point, improved.

The 33-year-old provided a calming influence as his side secured their first away win since October through a Habib Diarra penalty, helping them get through a tense 12 minutes of stoppage time as well.

Xhaka told TNT Sports afterward: “We spoke at the beginning of the season, our goal was 40 points, we achieved 40 points and now we want more because the hunger is great.”

“We have to stay humble. We know where we’re coming from. Our target was 40 points. When you get the first point, you want more. The hunger is there. We’ll take it one game at a time, let’s see where we get to.”

In addition to Xhaka, coach Regis Le Bris deserves huge praise.

The Frenchman has overseen some impressive results, including a win over Leeds. He set them up to frustrate Leeds, but also made the most of the few attacking situations they faced.

It was only the fifth Premier League game this season won by a team with just one shot on target, with Sunderland now having achieved two of them.

“We don’t know if that will be enough, but it’s a good goal,” Loprais said when he reached 40 points.

“With nine more games to go, we want to stay ambitious. The next target is 43 games, so let’s get ready for that. Let’s keep going.”