Sunderland's xG compared to Championship promotion and play-off rivals after Regis Le Bris admission

Sunderland’s push for promotion into the Premier League received a major boost on Saturday afternoon.

The Black Cats played their part as they claimed a narrow home win against Millwall thanks to a first-half volley from full-back Trai Hume - but there was further good news over the weekend after play-off rivals West Bromwich Albion, Coventry City, Bristol City and Watford all failed to take maximum points from their own fixtures.

That all means the play-off picture looks overwhelmingly positive for Regis Le Bris and his players as Sunderland now have a 15-point advantage on the clubs sat just outside of the top six with just seven games remaining in the regular season.

However, it would be safe to suggest there was some frustration surrounding the Stadium of Light as the Black Cats spurned yet another opportunity to find the net from the penalty spot. A foul on Romaine Mundle gave Sunderland a chance to double their lead with just five minutes remaining and the winger seemed the most likely candidate to step up to the spot. However, Luke O’Nien was handed the responsibility and the defender saw his effort saved by visitors keeper Lukas Jensen.

What did Regis Le Bris say about xG following Sunderland’s win against Millwall?

The Black Cats coach was asked about his side’s issues with penalties after O’Nien became the latest Sunderland player to miss from the spot in the narrow win against Millwall. The defender’s miss means Le Bris’ men have now missed their last four spot-kicks after Wilson Isidor was denied twice in a goalless draw at Burnley in January after Patrick Roberts had missed from 12 yards in a 1-0 defeat at new Championship leaders Sheffield United in November.

When asked about the issues from the spot, Le Bris referenced xG, saying: “I don't know, what can I answer? Yes, it's a problem because from an XG perspective, this is the best situation, the best chance we could have and at the minute we struggled a lot and it's an important topic for us, for the future and for now because with a second goal, the end of the game should have been easier and it wasn't the case.”

So what impact did O’Nien’s missed penalty make on Sunderland xG and how do they compare to their rivals across the second tier? We take a look with the help of FootyStats.

How does Sunderland’s expected goals compare to their Championship rivals?

24th: Plymouth Argyle - 1.05 xG 23rd: Oxford United - 1.11 xG 22nd: Derby County - 1.18xG 21st: Preston North End - 1.18xG 20th: Preston North End - 1.18xG 19th: Blackburn Rovers - 1.20xG 18th: Millwall - 1.25xG 17th: Swansea City - 1.27xG 16th: Luton Town - 1.29xG 15th: Queens Park Rangers - 1.29xG 14th: Hull City - 1.32xG 13th: Hull City - 1.32xG 12th: Norwich City - 1.33xG 11th: Watford - 1.33xG 10th: Cardiff City - 1.34xG 9th: Sheffield United - 1.36xG 8th: West Bromwich Albion - 1.36xG 7th: Sheffield Wednesday - 1.37xG 6th: Burnley - 1.38xG 5th: Bristol City - 1.45xG 4th: Coventry City - 1.50xG 3rd: Sunderland - 1.50xG 2nd: Middlesbrough - 1.54xG 1st: Leeds United - 1.77xG

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