Jermain Defoe might have stolen the headlines for the equalising goal which cancelled out Bafetimbi Gomis’s opener but without the heroics of goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon they would be bottom of the table with zero points.
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But it was Pantilimon who ended as Sunderland’s saviour as he produced fine stops to keep out Gylfi Sigurdsson’s powerful effort and then Gomis’s header.
Swansea has shown so far that they could be one of the surprises of the campaign. “Swansea are a tough team and play good football, but we stopped them from playing today and we played our own game”. “We had chance after chance and should have put the game to bed, had it not been for some unbelievable goalkeeping”. To cause such developments so early into his Swansea career says a lot about the player, and Ayew will be expected to continue his impressive start over the coming weeks. It was a first-time shot.
He said: “You saw some moments from Lens and Defoe and I think our midfield did OK”. When the opposition has the ball in the middle of the pitch, the Sunderland men held their position, but when someone charges out of the ranks to try to make a tackle, he leaves space where he should be standing.
The purchases of players such as Kaboul and Coates is a pretty good advert for NOT buying players with Premier League experience. The Dutchman is very aware that if it carries on for much longer, the club would be left with an uphill battle to maintain their top-flight status, meaning more angst for the supporters.
Following a couple of close shaves over the last few seasons, the Sunderland side simply do not look strong enough to avoid relegation this time around and although such predictions may be a bit pre-mature, there is no denying the fact that the Black Cats need to bring in new players.
But Advocaat pulled no punches when asked for a reaction, telling a press conference ahead of Sunday’s (AEST) home league game against Swansea: “I heard a story about Michael Gray“.
The 67-year-old was adamant that it was a “clear” penalty that “everybody” could see, and the spot kick couldd have given his side the lead and possibly the three points.
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‘That’s the reason he is a striker. As delighted as Advocaat was with his team’s first point of the season and rediscovery of a recently mislaid fighting spirit, he had most definitely not been fooled into a false sense of security. “But there must be a reason and I hope that they can tell me”. 21 year old academy product, Duncan Watmore, made his first appearance against Norwich, snatching a late consolation debut goal, instantly endearing him to the home fans.
