Sunderland and Everton played to a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light on Monday night, with Granit Xhaka's deflectedsecond-half goal earning the Black Cats a point. Iliman Ndiaye's early stunning solo effort had given the visitors the lead.
Everton started the game brightly, with James Garner firing a shot just wide within the first ten seconds. In the 15th minute, Iliman Ndiaye put Everton ahead with a fantastic individual goal, dribbling past several Sunderland defenders before curling a left-footed shot into the bottom corner. Everton continued to dominate the first half, with Jack Grealish hitting the post and Thierno Barry missing a close-range opportunity to double their lead.
Sunderland improved significantly after the break. Just a minute into the second half, Granit Xhaka's shot from outside the box took a deflection off James Tarkowski, leaving Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford helpless. Xhaka, who captains Sunderland, told Sky Sports that his team "lost the three points today in the first 25 minutes," but added the second half was much improved.
The Black Cats controlled much of the second half but were unable to find a winning goal. In the closing moments, Everton substitute Charly Alcaraz had a chance to win it for the Toffees, but he hesitated, and Sunderland escaped with a draw.
Sunderland's draw moves them to fourth in the Premier League standings, level on points with Liverpool and Bournemouth. This result extends Sunderland's impressive return to the top flight. Everton, meanwhile, are in 14th place and without a win in their last three games.
Granit Xhaka, the Swiss midfielder, signed for Sunderland on July 30, 2025, on a three-year contract. The reported initial fee was £13 million, with a possible £4 million in add-ons. Prior to joining Sunderland, Xhaka played for Basel, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Arsenal, and captained the Switzerland national team. He was named Sunderland captain by head coach Régis Le Bris ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Sunderland will face Arsenal at home in their next match on Saturday. Everton will play Fulham on the same day.
