Inside Conor McLaughlin's finest performance in a Sunderland shirt and the data that proves he has a key role to play

But in among a number of concerning aspects of the overall display, there were some clear positives to take.

And perhaps none were more prevalent than the performance of Conor McLaughlin, who put in arguably his finest performance in a Sunderland shirt at the Keepmoat Stadium,

The Northern Irish international has struggled for regular opportunities since his arrival on Wearside in the summer of 2019, but has been handed a chance this term given Sunderland's injury woes at the back.

It’s a chance he’s largely grasped, particularly when played on the right-hand side of the back three.

McLaughlin’s weakest performance of the season came at Rochdale where, deployed as the right-sided wing-back, he struggled to impose himself on the game.

But having since reverted to a more central role, the 29-year-old is starting to show his worth – with a run of games in the side (interrupted only be international duty) culminating in his fine performance at the Keepmoat Stadium.

And while it was ultimately a disappointing afternoon for the Black Cats, McLaughlin’s performance suggests he can have a key part to play moving forward.

Indeed, in the first half – where Sunderland played some of their best football thus far this campaign – he was a key presence in both boxes.

It is perhaps telling as to his influence that having touched the ball 92 times during the game, the former Millwall man spent more time in possession than any other member of the side in South Yorkshire.

In a defensive sense, McLaughlin won his battles with the lively Josh Sims and limited the Southampton loanee to scraps for large parts of the game. He was imperious in the air, winning four aerial duels – the joint-highest tally in the side – while also helping drive the Black Cats up the field.

The defender was a regular presence in the final third, touching the ball 13 times in and around the area as he played the over-lapping centre back role with the intensity and application that we saw from Jordan Willis when Sunderland were at their best last term.

There is work to do on his distribution from wide areas, with only one of his four crosses reaching its intended target – but given none of Denver Hume’s six crosses were deemed as accurate by the statisticians, this is perhaps a problem that transcends far beyond one individual.

McLaughlin was effective in possession, too, with his passing accuracy of 87.7% bettered only be the midfield duo of Grant Leadbitter and Josh Scowen.

So while there is naturally work to do for Sunderland in the coming weeks, with their top two credentials still heavily up for debate, there is promise to be taken from McLaughlin’s display.

He was firmly down the pecking order at the start of the term, but has taken his chance with both hands and now deserves a run in the side.

The challenge for him now, however, is maintaining this level of performance.

A message from the Football Clubs Editor

Our aim is to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative Sunderland AFC coverage 365 days a year.

This depth of SAFC coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to, please consider taking out a subscription to our new sports-only package here.

Your support is much appreciated. Richard Mennear, Football Clubs Editor