The striker scored his 10th goal of the season in Sunderland’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.
Lewis Grabban’s form has been the only shining light in a dark season so far for Sunderland.
The Black Cats are bottom of the Championship table and lost their opening game under new manager Chris Coleman at Aston Villa on Tuesday, with Grabban scoring a consolation in a 2-1 defeat.
That strike was Grabban’s 10th of the season in just 14 Sunderland apperarances since joining on loan from Bournemouth in the summer. Only Sheffield United’s Leon Clarke with 12 has more Championship goals.
At the rate he is going, Grabban is on track to get 25 league goals over the course of the campaign, and that would be a total that would almost guarantee Sunderland avoiding a second successive relegation.
Even if the 29-year-old was to slow down, history suggests his goals would still be enough to keep the Black Cats up.
Only once since the Championship was founded in 2004-05 has a player scored more than 15 goals for a single team that has gone on to be relegated, when Kevin Lisbie bagged 17 for Colchester United in 2007-08.
No team has ever gone down from the Championship when a striker has hit the 20-goal mark for the season.
Coleman has a lot to sort out at the Stadium of Light, but if Grabban keeps scoring the rest should take care of itself.
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