The Sunderland defender has made an impressive start to the season in the heart of Regis Le Bris’ defence.
Sunderland defender Dan Ballard has enjoyed a stellar start to the campaign for the Black Cats, evidenced by the centre-back topping the Premier League for an impressive defensive metric.
Heading into the international break, Ballard has started every league outing for Sunderland in central defence under Regis Le Bris, enjoying some stellar performances in the process.
Particularly, in win over Fulham, draw at Brentford and defeat to Ballard's boyhood club Arsenal, the bruising centre-back has been dominant in his defensive duels and also continues to show vast improvement in his ability to progress possession from the backline.
In Sunderland's 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, Ballard's physically imposing nature came to the Black Cats' benefit, with Gunners defender Ezri Konsa forced to tackle the 27-year-old to the ground and give away a penalty, unfortunately for Enzo Le Fee's spot-kick to be saved superlatively by Spanish shot-stopper David Raya.
Although Ballard and Sunderland were not at their best defensively against Manchester City last time out in the 5-3 defeat before the international break, the Black Cats centre-back sits top of the Premier League in a key statistic which personifies his quality start to the season.
Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes in action with Sunderland's Dan Ballard (REUTERS)Sunderland Defender Dan Ballard Has Won Most Duels In Premier League
So far in the opening five games of the 2026/27 Premier League campaign, Ballard sits top of the Premier League for duels won, with the Sunderland centre-back winning a staggering 45 duels, according to data from WhoScored.
Beneath Ballard, Hull City centre-forward Oli McBurnie sits second in the league with 43 duels won, with Everton stalwart defender James Tarkowski in third on 38.
Ballard's average of 9 defensive duels per game so far in the Premier League season highlights how effective and important the Northern Ireland international has been for Le Bris' Sunderland side.
| Key Statistic | Dan Ballard so far this PL season |
|---|---|
| Duels won | 45 |
Against City last time out, although the Sunderland defence as a collective were not at their usual resolute best after shipping five to Enzo Maresca's side, Ballard impressed personally by recording the most defensive contributions (14) of any player on the Etihad field.
The former Arsenal defender's imposing physical presence continues to be an important tool for Le Bris in both boxes, and his defensive acumen will be equally important for his national side, with Ballard set to feature for Northern Ireland during the international break alongside teammate and compatriot Trai Hume for their upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures.
Over the course of the campaign, the hope for Ballard and the Black Cats will be to see the defender stay fit throughout the season, with his early form indicating that the bruising centre-back is poised for his most impressive campaign thus far in his five-season association with Sunderland.
Don't forget to sign up for FREE. It takes 30 seconds and means you can comment, like, and receive notifications when we post an article! Click JOIN at the top.
