1
15
6
5
16
37
42
34
22
10
9
22
6
20
15
17
34
27
32
28
10
9The verdict
The xG says this was roughly even — 1.32 to 1.28 — but the scoreline tells a brutally different story, and on this occasion the scoreline is right. Everton carried their lead into the second half through Merlin Röhl’s deflected opener off Granit Xhaka, then proceeded to do almost nothing with it. Jordan Pickford posted a keeper performance score of -1.81 while his team’s defending crumbled on cue.
Sunderland needed one mistake and Jake O’Brien gave them one: a miscontrol let Le Fée free Brobbey at 59 minutes, and from that moment Regis Le Bris’ substitutions did the rest. Le Fée’s 81st-minute goal — assisted by sub Rigg — was the genuine decisive blow, and Wilson Isidor twisted the knife in stoppage time. Three different scorers, three big chances converted, three points that keep European football within Sunderland’s grasp ahead of the final day.
How the match unfolded
First half
23’. Sunderland substitution — O. Alderete on, L. O’Nien off.
25’. T. Iroegbunam (Everton) is shown a yellow card.
43’ — GOAL. M. Rohl scores for Everton, set up by M. Keane. Everton 1–0 Sunderland.
Second half
47’. J. O’Brien (Everton) is shown a yellow card.
59’ — GOAL. B. Brobbey scores for Sunderland, set up by E. Le Fee. Everton 1–1 Sunderland.
60’. Sunderland substitution — T. Hume on, C. Talbi off.
73’. Everton substitution — T. Iroegbunam on, T. George off.
73’. Everton substitution — Beto on, T. Barry off.
77’. Sunderland substitution — N. Angulo on, C. Rigg off.
77’. Sunderland substitution — B. Brobbey on, W. Isidor off.
77’. Sunderland substitution — N. Sadiki on, H. Diarra off.
81’ — GOAL. E. Le Fee scores for Sunderland, set up by C. Rigg. Everton 1–2 Sunderland.
88’. Everton substitution — M. Rohl on, D. McNeil off.
88’. Everton substitution — J. O’Brien on, S. Coleman off.
90+1’ — GOAL. W. Isidor scores for Sunderland, set up by H. Diarra. Everton 1–3 Sunderland.
90+6’. J. Garner (Everton) is shown a yellow card.
The decisive moment
80’ — Sunderland goal by Enzo Le Fée
By the numbers
10-7Shots, to . The balance of the game in one line.
The game was played with Sunderland seeing the majority of possession (51%–49%). Everton attempted 10 shots (4 on target) to Sunderland’s 7 (3 on target). The expected-goals model favoured Everton (1.32–1.28), so the 1–3 scoreline ran against the balance of chances. Everton completed 346 of 406 passes (85% accuracy); Sunderland 365 of 430 (85%). Set pieces and discipline: 3–2 on corners, 14–9 on fouls.
The numbers
| Metric | Everton | Sunderland |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 1 | 3 |
| Expected goals | 1.32 | 1.28 |
| Big chances | 2 | 3 |
| xPoints | 1.38 | 1.31 |
| Total shots | 10 | 7 |
| Possession % | 49 | 51 |
| Passes | 406 | 430 |
| Corners | 3 | 2 |
The tactical battle
Both sides set up in matching 4-2-3-1 shapes but Le Bris’ triple substitution at 77 minutes — bringing on Rigg, Isidor and Diarra simultaneously — completely reshaped Sunderland’s attack and suffocated Everton’s already-passive defensive structure. Everton, leading, sat deeper and invited pressure they had no answer for.
Player of the match
Enzo Le Fée earned it: he contributed the assist for Brobbey’s equaliser, then fired in the decisive 81st-minute goal himself, accumulating 0.50 xG across two shots and tilting the entire second half.
Top performances (by xG involvement)
| Player | Team | Shots | xG | Goals | Big chances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake O’Brien | Everton | 2 | 0.58 | 0 | 1 |
| Beto | Everton | 1 | 0.53 | 0 | 1 |
| Enzo Le Fée | Sunderland | 2 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 |
| Brian Brobbey | Sunderland | 1 | 0.39 | 1 | 1 |
| Wilson Isidor | Sunderland | 1 | 0.31 | 1 | 1 |
| Merlin Röhl | Everton | 3 | 0.1 | 1 | 0 |
Three things that stood out
- Everton had 1.32 xG — more than Sunderland’s 1.28 — yet lost 1-3, shipping all three goals after the 59th minute.
- Jordan Pickford’s keeper performance score was -1.81, the worst of any goalkeeper in this match by a considerable margin.
- Sunderland’s three goals came from three separate scorers (Brobbey, Le Fée, Isidor), each converting a big chance in the final third of the game.
What happens next
Sunderland go into a final-day home fixture against Chelsea needing a win to secure European football, while Everton’s six-match winless run leaves Leighton Baines facing a summer rebuild with no continental carrot to dangle.
Cards & substitutions
- 25’ Yellow Card — T. Iroegbunam (Everton)
- 47’ Yellow Card — J. O’Brien (Everton)
- 90+6’ Yellow Card — J. Garner (Everton)
- 23’ Substitution — O. Alderete (Sunderland)
- 60’ Substitution — T. Hume (Sunderland)
- 73’ Substitution — T. Iroegbunam (Everton)
- 73’ Substitution — Beto (Everton)
- 77’ Substitution — N. Angulo (Sunderland)
- 77’ Substitution — B. Brobbey (Sunderland)
- 77’ Substitution — N. Sadiki (Sunderland)
- 88’ Substitution — M. Rohl (Everton)
- 88’ Substitution — J. O’Brien (Everton)
Match xG: Everton 1.32 — 1.28 Sunderland. Result archetype: tactical-chess. xPoints: 1.38 vs 1.31.