It comes after a strong start to life under Regis Le Bris who’d won all of his Championship games as Sunderland before going into the game at Fratton Park, and all without conceding a single goal.
And although Sunderland lost their perfect defensive record in the game vs Portsmouth, courtesy of an unfortunate Luke O’Nien own goal, Le Bris’ side maintained their perfect record.
After a successful deadline day haul, Sunderland traveled to Portsmouth to play their away game. Kristjaan Speakman welcomed four new players to the Stadium of Light.
Prior to the match at Fratton Park, Sunderland had won all of their Championship games under Regis Le Bris, and they had done it without giving up a single goal.
And even though Luke O’Nien’s tragic own goal cost Sunderland the match against Portsmouth, Le Bris’ team still had a flawless record on defense.
After an own goal, strikes from Eliezer Mayenda and Ronan Mundle gave Sunderland a 3-1 lead.
For Sunderland, there were outstanding performances all across the field. However, one man in particular jumped out.
Chris Rigg, the young player, once again displayed his class with a flawless performance both in and out of possession.
Rigg attempted the second-most duels of any player on the field with ten of them being ground duels. The 17-year-old made 21 accurate passes and emerged victorious in four of the 14 duels.
In addition, Rigg contributed a clearing, a tackle, and a successful dribble as he keeps making a name for himself in the starting lineup and Sunderland first team.
There are a lot of admirable things about Rigg and his playing style, which also seems to work well for Le Bris.
With a little more training, Rigg might also be able to find a scoring touch in the Championship, based on his passing and dribbling technique.
Perhaps Rigg’s greatest accomplishment, considering his age, is his eagerness to take on new tasks and 50/50 situations.
Rigg, who isn’t the largest player, had a few moments against Portsmouth where he flew into challenges and prevailed.
He is prepared to perform the grunt work without the ball, which is crucial for a midfielder and essential in today’s game.
Rigg’s ceiling only rises as he continues to rise to the occasion.
Both he and Sunderland may be in for an extremely successful season.
Sunderland won the game 3-1 thanks to an own goal, then goals from Eliezer Mayenda and Romaine Mundle.
There were standout performances across the pitch for Sunderland. But one man stood out in particular.
Once again, youngster Chris Rigg showed his class both in and out of possession with another complete performance.
The 17-year-old made 21 accurate passes and won four out of 14 duels, with 10 of those being ground duels (Rigg attempted the second-most duels of any player on the pitch).
Rigg also chipped in with a clearance and a tackle, and one successful dribble, as he continues to establish himself not only in the Sunderland first-team, but in the starting XI.
There’s so much to like about Rigg and his style of play, which seems to really suit Le Bris’ style too.
His passing, and range of, his dribbling technique too, and the signs suggest that with a bit more work, Rigg could also uncover a scoring touch in the Championship.
But what may be most impressive about Rigg given his age is his willingness to fly into challenges and 50/50s.
There was a few moments against Portsmouth where Rigg, who isn’t the biggest player, flew into challenges nd came out on top.
He’s ready to do the dirty work out of possession which is obviously vital for a midfielder, and vital in the modern game too.
The ceiling keeps on getting higher for Rigg who keeps on rising to the challenge.
He could be in store for a very impressive season, and so too could Sunderland.
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