3 key Hull City players who Sunderland must get to grips with tomorrow
Sunderland take on a Hull City side that have lost five of their last six games in all competitions tomorrow.
The Tigers have faced many of the same issues as the Black Cats over the summer, with fan unrest at the ownership of the club and a lack of heavy investment in the playing squad leaving morale low.
They still possess a real threat, however, with these three players certain to test Simon Grayson’s side.
1 JARROD BOWEN
The 20-year-old has made an excellent start to the season, named the EFL young player of the month, and is an even more important player now that key striker Abel Hernandez is injured.
Bowen is a lively player who can hurt teams from wide areas or through the middle, not unlike Sunderland’s Duncan Watmore in his energy and enthusiasm.
He already has five goals to his name this season.
2 KAMIL GROSICKI
The Polish winger (pictured) went public with his anger at failing to secure a move away from the club this summer and so his commitment to the cause is perhaps a little bit questionable.
Nevertheless, he showed under Marco Silva last season that he has the pace and quality to pick teams apart on the counterattack and remains a part of Leonid Slutsky’s plans. Sunderland have struggled to shut teams down on the break and doing so will be crucial to succeeding on Saturday afternoon. Put simply, they cannot allow Grosicki time or space on the ball.
3 STEPHEN KINGSLEY
A late foray into the transfer market saw Hull strengthen their midfield with the signings of Jan Toral and Jackson Irvine.
Both are superb players at this level but are currently working to get up to speed and into the team. The Tigers also signed left-back Stephen Kingsley from Swansea City, a powerful and reliable player who was seen by many in South Wales as an underrated performer ought to be getting Premier League minutes.
Callum McManaman has made a solid start to his Sunderland career but will find Kingsley an astute opponent. Getting the better of him will be key to Sunderland unlocking their attacking potential and getting something from the game.