How Arbenit Xhemajli performed on his Sunderland debut after the dramatic race for international clearance

The shout came from the Sunderland dugout after one particular moment of quality.

Sunderland, who were weathering a rare Aston Villa attack, looked to play out from the back. The ball landed at the feet of Arbenit Xhemajli who, with one swift movement, knocked the ball around his opponent before galloping forward.

It was a moment of class that served to emphasise the pedigree of Phil Parkinson’s latest defensive recruit – and the key reasons why the former Xamax man was identified as a feasible target.

In possession, Xhemajli looks calm and composed and it was noticeable how well-balanced the Black Cats’ back three looked with a natural left-footer on the left-hand side.

He was comfortable playing the ball out from the back and wasn’t afraid to foray forward – in a manner not dissimilar to that which we have seen Jordan Willis do in recent months.

Of course, we must take Xhemajli’s debut for what it is. He was rarely troubled in what was a dominant Sunderland performance, where Villa’s spells of pressure were limited to fleeting stints at the start of each half.

Given the 22-year-old was scarcely troubled in his only previous appearance to date, we are yet to fully see how Xhemajli will stand-up to scrutiny when the Black Cats are firmly on the back foot.

But there were positives to take, and enough to suggest that Xhemajli can continue to develop into a well-rounded centre back during his two-year stay on Wearside.

His debut was particularly impressive given that both club and player were in the dark over whether the Kosovan international could feature until hours before the game.

With Sunderland at the mercy of the Swiss FA – the only party who could hand Xhemajli the international clearance he required – it was a waiting game for all parties.

It was a wait worth suffering, though, For Xhemajli, those 90 minutes will prove key as he looks to stake a claim for a regular first-team place.

And for Parkinson, the showing will further justify the left-field signing of the central defender.

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