Sunderland centre-forward Brian Brobbey has faced criticism from some corners of the internet for his involvement in the situation that led to two injuries for Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
The Dutch striker was chasing a ball into the box and Cristian Romero got his body between the forward and the ball, which was good defending, and that meant that the Black Cats star had to use his arms to stop himself from colliding into the defender.
That, unfortunately, meant that he inadvertently pushed Romero into his goalkeeper, Antonin Kinsky, which resulted in the goalkeeper needing bandages around his head and the Argentine central defender was substituted with a leg injury.
It was nothing more than an unfortunate situation for the two Tottenham players, and Romero, who defended brilliantly, in particular because he was forced off the pitch.
Aside from that incident, Brobbey was outstanding for Sunderland in the 1-0 win over Spurs at the Stadium of Light, despite not scoring or assisting any goals.
Why Brian Brobbey is effective for Sunderland without scoring goals
Centre-forwards are typically judged by the number of goals they score over a season. With a month of the campaign left, the Dutchman has scored six goals in 25 Premier League games for the club.
He has been far from prolific in his first season at the Stadium of Light, having joined from Ajax for £17.3m last summer, but the attacker brings far more to the team than just goals.
The 24-year-old powerhouse received high praise from Premier League legend Thierry Henry, who hailed the striker’s exceptional hold-up play and how he uses his body to hold off defenders back in January.
Brobbey is a phenomenal outlet at the top end of the pitch for Sunderland because he can pin defenders and bring the team up the pitch by holding onto the ball under pressure before finding a teammate.
He ranks in the top 15% of forwards in the division for fouls won (29) because defenders find it so difficult to get the better of him, and his ability to physically dominate opposition centre-backs is his biggest attribute.
That is why Brobbey is effective for Regis Le Bris even when he is not scoring, which is why he keeps his place in the starting line-up ahead of the other forwards in the squad.
Sunderland must move on from forward who was becoming Brian Brobbey 2.0
In the 2024/25 campaign, Le Bris and Sunderland had an exciting forward prospect who was on his way to becoming the original Brobbey at the Stadium of Light.
Eliezer Mayenda, who journalist Josh Bunting said was “improving”, caught the eye with his impressive performances for the Black Cats in the Championship last season, scoring in the play-off final win over Sheffield United.
The Spain U21 international scored eight goals in the second tier for Sunderland, and his solo goal against Bristol City in April was Brobbey-esque in the way that he held off multiple challenges and used his speed, physicality, and technical quality to score.
He looked like a player who would thrive in the Premier League because of his physical attributes as a centre-forward, just as Brobbey has this season as Le Bris’ number nine.
Unfortunately, though, it has not worked out for him in the top-flight this season. To date, the Spaniard has scored two goals and failed to register any assists in 19 appearances in the division.
|
25/26 Premier League |
Mayenda |
Rank vs STs |
|---|---|---|
|
Goals |
2 |
Bottom 26% |
|
Chances created |
4 |
Bottom 22% |
|
Assists |
0 |
Bottom 1% |
|
Touches in opposition’s box |
31 |
Bottom 28% |
|
Duel success rate |
34% |
Bottom 32% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
34% |
Bottom 32% |
Mayenda, who ranks poorly among his fellow strikers in the Premier League, has only played one minute in the last two league outings for the Black Cats.
He has not adapted to the step-up in intensity and physicality from the Championship. Whilst he could outmuscle and outstrength second division centre-backs on a regular basis, Premier League defenders have found it too easy to get the better of him.
Mayenda’s lack of game time, starting eight league matches, and his struggle for form could mean that his future needs to be assessed ahead of the summer transfer window.
It may be the best for both parties to move on in the summer because the striker will want to play regular football to continue his development, whilst Sunderland should want an upgrade to compete with Brobbey.
Therefore, Mayenda’s career at the Stadium of Light looks finished at this moment in time, 12 months after he looked like the original Brobbey for Le Bris.
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