How ex-Leeds and Tottenham man Jack Clarke remains a key part of Sunderland's play-off push

In the absence of strikers Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms, Sunderland need other players to step up in the goalscoring department.
Joe Nicholson
By Joe Nicholson
Published 15th Feb 2023, 16:39 BST
Updated 15th Feb 2023, 16:48 BST
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The aforementioned pair have scored 17 of the side’s 46 league goals between them this season (10 for Stewart and seven for Simms), and have left a gaping hole in the Black Cats’ forward line.

Still, Tony Mowbray’s side have taken seven points from their last three league games since Stewart’s season-ending injury, scoring five times and conceding just once.

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Jack Clarke’s late double in a 3-0 win at QPR saw the 22-year-old get on the scoresheet in a Championship fixture for the first time since October (during a 2-1 defeat at Swansea), taking his league tally to six for the season.

Jack Clarke playing for Sunderland against QPR.Jack Clarke playing for Sunderland against QPR.
Jack Clarke playing for Sunderland against QPR.

The former Tottenham and Leeds man was hugely impressive at the start of the campaign, when he contributed with four goals and six assists in Sunderland’s first 17 league games. Mowbray will now be hoping Clarke can rediscover that form to compensate for the head coach’s lack of striker options.

Against QPR, the 22-year-old started in a central position alongside Leeds loanee Joe Gelhardt, with Patrick Roberts remaining in his accustomed role on the right and Abdoullah Ba moving to the left.

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As a natural winger, Clarke would still drift over to the left to receive possession, while he was instructed to move into a wider position following Amad’s introduction just after the hour mark.

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Figure One: Jack Clarke positions himself at the back post when Patrick Roberts has the ball on the opposite flankFigure One: Jack Clarke positions himself at the back post when Patrick Roberts has the ball on the opposite flank
Figure One: Jack Clarke positions himself at the back post when Patrick Roberts has the ball on the opposite flank

Crucially, though, Clarke was often arriving at the back post or in a potential goalscoring position when Sunderland had the ball on the opposite flank.

The Sunderland man also showed good awareness when it was better to hold his position inside the QPR box, converting Dan Neil’s low cutback in stoppage-time to score Sunderland’s third goal of the night.

In front of goal Clarke has often taken his opportunities this season, outperforming his expected goals total of 4.5 in the Championship.

And while the player's recent performances haven’t quite reached the heights he produced earlier in the campaign, this was a timely reminder of what an important player he has been for Mowbray’s side.

This win moved the Black Cats back into the play-off places with 15 games remaining

Related topics:SunderlandRoss StewartEllis SimmsTottenhamTony Mowbray