50 chances created: SAFC gem who can "unlock doors" has stolen the show from Stewart - opinion

Sunderland have endured a rollercoaster of a season as they have been battling for promotion out of League One whilst also changing managers midway through the campaign.

The Black Cats are currently fourth in the table as it stands but previously topped it and have been in and around the promotion picture throughout the year.

They recently made the decision to part ways with Lee Johnson and replaced him with former Norwich and Preston manager Alex Neil, who was held to a 1-1 draw by AFC Wimbledon in his first match at the weekend.

Alex Pritchard scored Sunderland’s goal as he found the back of the net with a sublime free-kick, which highlighted his importance to the team. His strike helped them to avoid a fourth straight defeat in the league and he has been excellent throughout the campaign.

Whilst Ross Stewart has impressed as the club’s top scorer with 18 goals, the Englishman has stolen the show with his exciting, creative, play in the number 10 position since his move to Wearside from Huddersfield on a free transfer.

In 19 League One starts, Pritchard has scored four goals and provided five assists. He has also created 50 chances in total across his 28 appearances, with seven of them going down as ‘big chances’. These statistics suggest that the gem is unfortunate to only have five assists to his name at this point in the campaign.

Former Black Cats boss Johnson previously hailed the Tottenham academy graduate’s creativity, saying: “Pritch is going to be important for us and I think you see that as well.

“We are still building him up. He’s 95 percent fit and I think he has that quality to unlock doors at this level that most people haven’t.”

Along with his impressive play in the final third, he has also made 1.5