How Alex Pritchard got the better of Crewe's midfield and Celtic loanee in big Sunderland win

The 28-year-old had played a part in all three of his side’s goals at that stage, and was producing his most influential performance since moving to Wearside this summer.

Hopefully Pritchard’s whiplash-type symptoms aren’t too serious and the playmaker is able to start Sunderland’s home game against Charlton this weekend.

With Elliot Embleton serving a three-match suspension following his red card at Gillingham, Black Cats boss Lee Johnson has one less option in the No 10 position – a role which Pritchard has excelled in at previous clubs.

Eventually Johnson wants to find a way to get the best out of both Pritchard and Embleton in the same team.

"We have to find a way to play Pritchard and Embleton together,” Johnson told the Echo after the win at Gillingham. "We are still building those partnerships all the time.”

But for the next two games at least, there will be more emphasis on the former to be Sunderland’s primary playmaker, and he certainly stepped up at Crewe’s Mornflake Stadium.

With David Artell’s side operating in a 3-4-3 formation, there was space for Pritchard to roam in front of the hosts’ back three.

As shown by the player’s heatmap (figure one), Pritchard was able to stretch The Alex’s defence by making runs into the channels, where he was often followed by one of Crewe’s two central midfielder, Luke Murphy or Celtic loanee Scott Robertson – who were outnumbered against Sunderland’s 4-2-3-1 system.

The opening goal came from Pritchard venturing out to the left and latching onto Ross Stewart’s lay off from a throw-in.

Pritchard managed to escape the marking of Murphy (figure two), allowing him time to cross the ball into the box where Terell Thomas skewed the ball into his own net.

Sunderland’s second goal also came from Pritchard finding a yard of space to make a significant offensive contribution.

The visitors initially won the ball back by pressing Crewe high up the pitch as a team, forcing centre-back Donervon Daniels to kick the ball long (figure three).

As the move progressed, Pritchard first played a neat one-two with Aiden O’Brien, and then with Dan Neil, before the latter broke forward into the penalty area.

Pritchard’s position attracted both Robertson and Murphy to the ball (figure four), allowing Neil to make a significant overlapping run before crossing for Ross Stewart to score.

Despite taking a knock in the first half, Pritchard did return after the interval and also delivered the corner which led to Sunderland’s third goal.

In previous matches, there have been times when the playmaker has chosen the wrong option, perhaps due to the unfamiliarity of a new team or a lack of match sharpness.

Despite his impressive display at Crewe, just two of Pritchard’s five attempted crosses found one of his team-mates, according to Whoscored.com.

There was also a moment in the second half when the player fired a shot into a Crewe defender while other Sunderland players were in better positions. Admittedly, his side were in control at that point.

Still, this was a night where the attacker’s quality and intelligence helped cut the opposition open.

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