Sunderland leads World Cup goals with 7 in the group stage

Sunderland have established themselves as the Premier League club with the most standout representatives at the World Cup played in North America this summer. With 12 players at the tournament, the club from the northeast of England already total seven goals in the group stage – tied with Crystal Palace at the top of the ranking among English teams.

Goals spread across the four corners of the World Cup

The path to that number was traced by players from different national teams and styles. Brian Brobbey found the net for the Netherlands. Granit Xhaka led Switzerland with the captain’s armband, bringing experience beyond the goals. Wilson Isidor tried to avoid defeat with a long-range strike, but couldn’t change the result. Nilson Angulo scored in one of the tournament’s comebacks: Ecuador surprised Germany and advanced to the round of 16.

The fifth goal came through Senegal. Habib Diarra finished from close range in the Senegalese’s convincing triumph over Iraq on Friday, levelling Sunderland with Palace in the collective count. It is a number that draws attention inside the dressing room and the boardroom.

Overview among the Premier League clubs

Sunderland and Palace lead among the English sides with seven goals each. Behind them come Newcastle United, Arsenal and Manchester United with five. Liverpool and Manchester City appear with four. Wolves register three, Brighton and West Ham two, while Aston Villa, Everton and Tottenham have just one goal each.

At the top of the Premier League scorers at the tournament is Erling Haaland of Manchester City, with four goals. He is followed by a group with three: Brian Brobbey, Ismaila Sarr, Matheus Cunha and Yoane Wissa.

What lies ahead for the Black Cats

Isidor has already returned home. The forward will take advantage of the break to recharge his batteries before the start of next season. The rest of the group, however, still have work ahead: several Sunderland players are preparing for the knockout games in the coming days. The knockout phase begins now – and the club has already proven it knows how to put decisive men on the pitch.