Why Jules Ahoka is Sunderland's new shining star despite Premier League struggles
Why Ahoka is Sunderland's new shining star despite PL struggles, writes Adam Bell.
Jules Ahoka is proving to be a shining star for Sunderland this season.
The Congolese midfielder put on a man of the match display as Sunderland defeated Chelsea 1-0 at the Stadium of Light on Sunday. Ahoka was brought on as a substitute in the fourth minute to replace captain Granit Xhaka who had suffered a calf injury in the warm-up going into the game. The 20-year-old had a significant role to fulfil in replacing the captain, however he did just that with his actions during the game.
He provided an aerial and physical presence to the midfield that has been lacking so far this season allowing for the battle to be won in the middle of the park against an experienced Chelsea midfield. Additionally, his dominance provided the gaps to be filled in centrally as well allowing Regis Le Bris’ side not to be overran in that part of the field, which has been a common theme in some games this season.
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His performance also brought the best out of his fellow Congolese midfielder Noah Sadiki who ran himself into the ground yesterday covering every blade of grass. Sadiki, who has not been in the best of form recently showed his quality which Sunderland fans know that he can bring to the team and proved that with the help of Ahoka in the pivot.
The midfield pairing provided the press which helped the Black Cats up the pitch which could prove vital with the games coming thick and fast after the international break. Ahoka has shown glimpses of sheer quality as to what he can do through individual performances in the Europa League and the Carabao Cup. His composure on the ball and receiving the ball on the half-turn is very key in the way he works in the middle.
During the game, he provided a 79% accurate pass rate alongside 12 defensive contributions in the 86 minutes that he played during the game. This displays the youngsters’ eye for a pass which is one of his greatest strengths in his game so far and will only improve over time. The tenacity as well, which was proven in his output defensively as shown above which is also another solid asset to build on through his development.
Not to mention, the midfielder played around 70 minutes on a yellow card following his foul on Moises Caicedo early in the first half. With the game itself being played on the edge it highlighted the maturity for Ahoka playing beyond his years, highlighting the discipline that followed him throughout the rest of the game.
It has been a shrewd bit of recruitment from Florent Ghisolfi in the summer picking the Congolese midfielder up for an estimated £8.6m from Belgian side Royal Antwerp. With it being only his 11th game in men’s football Ahoka will become an even bigger figure this season for Le Bris’ side. Hopefully, this performance is only the start of bigger and better things to come for the young talent.