Several Sunderland players have been in stellar form at the start of the season ahead of the international break, but one Black Cat deserves to be singled out for their stunning form.
Sunderland have enjoyed a solid start to the 2026/27 season under Regis Le Bris, with some impressive performances against the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City going unrewarded in terms of points.
Heading into the international break, there have been multiple standouts for the Black Cats so far this season, in every department of the field encompassing defenders, midfielders and attackers.
In defence, the likes of Nordi Mukiele, Kevin Danso and Dan Ballard have impressed, with the latter unfortunately suffering a hamstring injury for Northern Ireland which could keep Ballard on the Stadium of Light sidelines for several weeks.
Within midfield, captain Granit Xhaka and creator-in-chief Enzo Le Fee have been in typically superlative form, alongside fellow central midfielder Noah Sadiki.
Up front, Brian Brobbey was rewarded for his efforts with an emphatic hat-trick at Man City before the break, but he has also suffered a worrying hamstring strain during the international period, leaving Sunderland nervously awaiting a diagnosis.
However, of the aforementioned Sunderland standouts, there is one who has been the most pivotal to the Black Cats' opening weeks of the campaign.
Enzo Le Fee celebrates scoring penalty against AZ Alkmaar (Action Images via Reuters) Why Enzo Le Fee Has Been Sunderland's Best Player This Season
Of all the above Sunderland stars, as well as honourable mentions Thomas Meunier and Wilson Isidor, Le Fee deserves the supporter's prize of player of the season thus far in my eyes.
In terms of FotMob average ratings for Premier League clashes, Xhaka takes the top spot at 7.37, with the Frenchman in second at 7.26, and although the Swiss veteran has been typically imperative to Sunderland's exploits, there have been occasional sub-par performances heading into the break.
Overall, Le Fee has been absolutely crucial to Sunderland's prospects across every game he has played in, contributing in every capacity for the Black Cats.
So far in the Premier League, Le Fee has netted the equaliser at Brentford with a coolly dispatched penalty to right the wrongs from his failed panenka in last season's reverse fixture in an outstanding, man of the match-worthy performance against one of the top flight's most difficult opponents.
Unfortunately for the inventive Frenchman, his penalty the following week was saved by the outstretched fingertips of Gunners goalkeeper David Raya, but Le Fee responded in commendable fashion just four days later.
In Sunderland's historic Europa League win over AZ Alkmaar, Le Fee enjoyed his best performance of the season, and potentially thus far in his Black Cats career since arriving from Roma in the mid-season window of the promotion-winning Championship campaign.
Against the Eredivisie leaders, Le Fee created the joint-most chances (four) of any player on the Stadium of Light field, had the most touches (eight) of any player in their opposition's box, and won the penalty after some intricate work in the Alkmaar box.
Of which, Le Fee stepped up and showed sizeable bottle to dispatch it in the same direction that Arsenal shot-stopper Raya denied him just days earlier, and reacted towards the Roker End with an emotionally charged celebration.
Enzo Le Fee scores their first goal from the penalty spot past AZ Alkmaar (REUTERS)Le Fee's performance in the AZ win was an encapsulation of everything the former Roma midfielder offers: output in the final third and hard yards of graft back towards the Sunderland goal.
In the final clash before the international break at Man City, Le Fee continued his rich vein of form by creating the most chances (five) of any player and providing the assist for Brobbey's first of his three, in yet another impressive display of technical excellence.
So far this season, Le Fee has been the catalyst for creativity within Le Bris' side, with his plush playmaking ability laying on 12 chances for his Black Cats teammates against elite-level opponents in the Premier League and Europa League.
| Key statistic (all competitions) | Enzo Le Fee so far this season |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 6 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Chances created | 12 |
| Duels won | 37 |
| Fouls won | 14 |
| Touches in opposition box | 21 |
Moreover, what makes Le Bris' former FC Lorient prodigy is his selfless ethic and defensive work rate, which is pivotal to Sunderland's strategy.
A team-first attitude is not always taken as granted with flair players of Le Fee's ample ability, but the Frenchman deserves great credit for this endearing aspect of his on-field performances, cementing him as the epitome of a Sunderland player.
Thankfully, Sunderland have tied Le Fee to a new long-term contract, keeping the playmaker at the Stadium of Light until 2031.
However, transfer suitors may inevitably come calling in future windows if his outstanding displays continue, and interest from the European footballing elite would be a justified recognition of his elegant yet emphatic efforts in the heart of Le Bris' Sunderland XI.
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