Sunderland, England – Sunderland and Everton battled to a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light on Monday night, extending Sunderland's unbeaten home record in the Premier League. The Black Cats, playing in front of their home crowd, showcased resilience, coming from behind to secure a point against a determined Everton side.
The match began with Everton displaying early intensity. James Garner nearly put the Toffees ahead within the first 12 seconds, his shot narrowly missing the target. Everton's early pressure paid off in the 15th minute when Iliman Ndiaye scored a sensational solo goal. Ndiaye received the ball on the right, skillfully evaded three defenders, and curled a left-footed shot past Sunderland's goalkeeper Robin Roefs.
Everton continued to press, with Jack Grealish hitting the post from 20 yards out. Thierno Barry had a golden opportunity to double Everton's lead but blazed his shot over the bar from close range. Sunderland, however, gradually gained a foothold in the game, applying pressure towards the end of the first half.
Sunderland started the second half with renewed vigor. Just 42 seconds after the restart, captain Granit Xhaka equalized with a deflected shot. Xhaka's low drive took a significant deflection off James Tarkowski, sending the ball into the net off the underside of the bar. The goal marked Xhaka's first for Sunderland.
Sunderland almost immediately grabbed a second goal when Enzo Le Fee's deflected shot forced a save from Everton's goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. The Black Cats maintained control for much of the second half, with Wilson Isidor and Nordi Mukiele coming close to scoring. Everton, however, threatened late on, with Vitalii Mykolenko's shot being saved by Roefs.
Despite Sunderland's dominance in the second half, Everton managed to hold on for a draw. The match ended 1-1, with both teams taking a point.
Speaking after the game, Everton manager David Moyes acknowledged the shift in Sunderland's standing since his previous tenure, praising their resurgence. Sunderland's manager, Régis Le Bris, had lauded Xhaka before the match, and the midfielder repaid the faith with a crucial goal.
The draw sees Sunderland move up to fourth in the Premier League, level on points with Liverpool and Bournemouth. Everton, meanwhile, climb to 14th. Sunderland face a tough test next, hosting league leaders Arsenal, while Everton will look to bounce back against Fulham.
