Brian Brobbey

Brobbey plays with his back to goal more often than facing it, using his frame to shield possession rather than trying to beat a defender with a trick. He is difficult to dispossess even under sustained pressure, drawing markers toward him before laying the ball off to a runner arriving from deeper. His timing in the box compensates for a game not built around intricate touches, since he occupies the right spaces rather than inventing them.

Whether that physical approach translates into consistent goals in the Premier League is the open question, because defenders here are stronger and quicker to close him down. He needs regular service into those areas rather than isolation against two markers. Watch how often Sunderland actually get the ball to him in dangerous positions, since that pattern will decide how many chances he gets.