Sunderland new boy Victor Anichebe by the numbers: Two shots per game and 30% on target

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Victor Anichebe joined Sunderland on a free having been released by West Brom.

With a lack of strikers on Wearside, David Moyes has turned to free agent Victor Anichebe to bring more goals to the Stadium of Light.

With no strikers joining the club in the summer, and Fabio Borini ruled out with injury, the Nigerian joins Jermain Defoe as the only two first-team forwards available.

The 28-year-old was released at the end of last season by West Brom, having spent three years at The Hawthorns. The signing means a reunion for Anichebe and Moyes, who worked together at Everton, where the striker broke onto the scene in 2006 as an 18-year-old.

10 years on, the pair are set to work together again, but will Anichebe score the goals that Sunderland need to help them climb the Premier League?

The stats don’t look great.

Over the past three seasons, which saw Anichebe make 55 appearances for West Brom and one for Everton, the striker only managed six goals, meaning a record of just over a goal every 10 games.

The six-foot-three striker boasts a poor shots on target percentage as well, with 30% of his efforts over the last three years finding the target, recording fewer than two shots per game.

His overall Premier League record is not inspiring either, with only 24 Premier League goals to his name since his debut in 2006.

One stat that may please Sunderland fans is his record against their rivals Newcastle, against whom he has scored five times in his career, just over 20% of his career total, as well as being a constant thorn in the Magpies’ side.

While that record won’t change this season due to Newcastle being in the Championship, promotion for Rafael Benitez and a new contract for Anichebe could see the Nigerian bag against black and white again.