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Sunderland’s Top-Four Surge Continues With Stoppage-Time Draw Against Arsenal

A revamped, defensively drilled squad led on the pitch by Granit Xhaka has turned a relegation forecast into early top-four form.

Overview

  • Sunderland sit fourth with 19 points from 11 matches after a 2-2 home draw on Nov. 8 that made them the first side to score twice against league leaders Arsenal this season.
  • Brian Brobbey struck a 94th‑minute equaliser, while centre-back Dan Ballard had earlier ended Arsenal’s 812‑minute shutout and then helped create the late leveller.
  • The Stadium of Light remains unbeaten this season, and Sunderland have a league-leading five goals scored after the 90th minute.
  • Manager Régis le Bris has built one of the Premier League’s stingiest defences with a high-press build-up and disciplined low block, coupled with strong set-piece resilience.
  • A record outlay for a promoted club funded roughly a dozen new arrivals, with Xhaka emerging as a transformational figure who tops several BBC/Opta metrics as pundits hail le Bris’s rapid integration of the squad.