The defender was handed his debut in the loss to Manchester City.
Sunderland manager David Moyes celebrates after Jermain Defoe scores their first goal
New Sunderland signing Donald Love was in solid form as he made his debut against Manchester City on Saturday.
The defender joined the Black Cats earlier this week as David Moyes signed him and Paddy McNair from Manchester United in a double deal.
Manchester City’s Nolito in action with Sunderland’s Donald Love
The Scot showed immediate faith in his new signing too, handing him a start in their opening game of the season against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at the Etihad.
The game ended in defeat, courtesy of Paddy McNair’s own goal, but Love will be pleased with the performance he put in against City’s star midfielder’s such as Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Nolito.
| Match | Passing Accuracy | Won Tackle | Interception Won | Duel Won | Aerial Won | Poss Won Def 3rd | Ball Recovery | Touches | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Love | Man City vs Sunderland | 63% | 5 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 50 | 90 |
As shown by the stats provided by Opta he boasted several impressive stats across the game.
He posted 50 touches in total, with just two of those proving to be unsuccessful.
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling in action with Sunderland’s Donald Love
He managed to win five tackles, two interceptions, an impressive eight defensive duels and two aerial duels in total.
He also won possession back in the defensive third five times, as well as posting six ball recoveries in a solid start to life in David Moyes’ side.
Sunderland manager David Moyes acknowledges fans at the end of the match
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