This is Xhaka’s second spell in England, having played 297 times for Arsenal from 2016 until 2023.
He then joined Bayer Leverkusen where he won the title under Xabi Alonso in their unbeaten domestic season in 2023-24.
Erik ten Hag, then the Leverkusen boss, insisted Xhaka would not be sold this summer.
But the midfielder left for Sunderland, and Ten Hag was sacked a few weeks into the season.
“I didn’t expect to come back after Germany but you never know where you land,” said Xhaka.
“To be back made me happy. I knew the project to bring experience and show the guys day by day.
“It makes me happy to score a goal.”
Xhaka was a bit of a pantomine villain – and sometimes much maligned – at Arsenal.
He was sent off five times for the Gunners and spent six weeks as captain in 2019, clashed with his own fans and was stripped of the armband.
But things went better under Mikel Arteta and he became an important player before leaving in 2023 for Germany.
Carragher said: “After what he went through at Arsenal, he showed great character to come back from that. The impact he has had, if he can be part of a Sunderland team who finishes in the top 10 – or even just stays up – he will be remembered for a very long time.”
Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini told BBC Radio Newcastle: “He exemplifies a top professional.
“When he was an Arsenal player at times you felt like he was a bit of a villain. Over the years we have seen him mature and develop.
“We’ve seen a slightly more restrained version of Xhaka, but it’s actually better than the fully committed, blowing steam out of his ears sort of player that we saw at Arsenal.
“He’s a little bit more measured, calmer and a better professional. To have that in your squad especially when you’ve got a young squad, and everyone believes in him, he’s a talisman.
“We need to wrap him in cotton wool and keep him going for 38 games.”
Undoubtedly, Sunderland – who won 2-1 at Chelsea on Saturday – have been the biggest surprise this term. Minutes away from a Championship play-off final defeat in May, they will end October fourth in the top flight.
With 17 points from nine matches, the Black Cats have equalled their best Premier League start, matching their tally from 1999-00.
Only five newly promoted sides have earned more points than Sunderland in the same number of matches. All five, including Sunderland themselves in 2000, managed to survive relegation.
“It’s an unbelievable start and one that’s been well earned,” former Watford captain Troy Deeney told Final Score.
“If you said that a couple of months ago, Sunderland fans would tell you, you’re crazy.”
Ex-Manchester United and England midfielder Michael Carrick added on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Anyone who is honest enough will say that they never expected Sunderland to start this well, so full credit to them.
“The amount of points they have accumulated already has given them an unbelievable start and that’s something they will want to build on.”
To put Sunderland’s start into context, it’s worth remembering how the Black Cats defied expectations to reach the top-flight again.
Regis le Bris’ side finished 24 points behind Burnley and Leeds in the automatic promotion spots and managed just 58 goals in their 46 games.
They required an injury-time winner to edge past Coventry in the play-off semi-finals and they were clear underdogs going into the final at Wembley against Sheffield United, who finished 14 points ahead of the Black Cats.
But Sunderland showed their resilience again, coming from behind in the final and scoring another injury-time winner through Tom Watson to regain top-flight status for the first time in eight years.
It makes this season’s start all the more impressive.
The 17 points Sunderland have accumulated from their nine matches so far is the Black Cats’ equal best start in the Premier League, matching the tally from the 1999-00 season.
Only five newly promoted teams have earned more points from their opening nine matches than Sunderland have managed this season.
All five of those teams, as well as Sunderland in 2000, managed to survive relegation.
“Anyone who is honest enough will say that they never expected Sunderland to start this well, so full credit to them,” Michael Carrick told BBC Radio 5 Live after the win at Chelsea.
“The amount of points they have accumulated already has given them an unbelievable start and that’s something they will want to build on.
“They looked quite comfortable and calm for long periods, but also looked dangerous. They just kept that belief to get the win.
“It’s a textbook away win at an, arguably, bigger team.”
Given the turbulence at the club over the last decade, Sunderland fans could be forgiven for feeling apprehensive on their return to the Premier League.
Their route back to the top division has been a long one, with the Black Cats experiencing back-to-back relegations and spending four years in League One.
Even last season’s promotion was dramatic.
Having finished 16th the season before, Sunderland upset the odds to beat Sheffield United in the play-off final with a last-gasp winner in injury time at Wembley.
But there has been more than good fortune to Sunderland’s revival.
There were fears after the Black Cats made 14 first-team signings this summer that Le Bris’ side could lose the togetherness that helped them earn promotion.
But the Black Cats have more than maintained the momentum so far this season.
With 14 points from eight matches, Sunderland have matched their best start to a Premier League campaign.
Not that manager Le Bris is taking anything for granted.
“For me it’s just a question of the next game,” he told BBC Sport.
“It’s a long journey and a tough journey. If we can win points early, it’s good for the confidence.”
The Black Cats’ fine start has been built on their home form, with 10 of their 14 points coming at the Stadium of Light – only leaders Arsenal have as many.
Perhaps the most impressive element of Sunderland’s form is that they have bucked the trend of promoted sides in recent times.
Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich – who were all relegated last season having earned promotion the season before – managed just 14 points between them after eight matches last season. Sunderland have already matched that total on their own.
In fact, Sunderland’s points tally is the best from a promoted since since Wolves in the 2018-19 campaign.
If 40 points is the benchmark for survival, then Sunderland are already well on their way to safety.
OLD TRAFFORD continues to suffer from a rodent infestation after a fan claimed to catch a live MOUSE during the game between Manchester United and Sunderland.
A travelling Black Cats supporter shared a post to social media of them claiming to have been next to someone who caught the rodent while in attendance at the ground for the game.
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A Sunderland fan claims to have caught a live mouse while visiting Old Trafford on SaturdayCredit: X/ RejectedBook
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Old Trafford has a common problem with mice due to its locationCredit: Getty
The social media post showed a photo of a mouse being held in a tall plastic cup.
It was partnered by a caption which said: “How dirty is Old Trafford??
“Woman behind has just caught a mouse in the away end at Old Trafford…
“I’m running out of things I’ve not seen at the match now.”
Other fans also ripped into the stunning pictures on social media, with another fan saying: “No way. Even mother nature is taking the p***.”
Mice droppings were found in a food kiosk on the concourse, which prompted a reduction in the hygiene levels at the stadium to drop from four to just TWO stars.
Unfortunately, the source of the rodent problem is believed to come from the location of the stadium itself being between a railway line and a canal.
Following the arrival of minority owners Ineos, United have announced plans to build a new 100,000-seater £2billion stadium which they have dubbed the “Wembley of the North”.
However, last month those plans hit a snag with company owing the land United wanted to build a huge canopy on refusing to budge for less than £400million – way above United’s own estimate of £50m for the lands worth.
Ruben Amorim‘s squad travel to Anfield to face Liverpool after the international break hoping to generate some momentum and pick up consecutive wins for the first time under the Portuguese boss.
Match of the Day’s Wayne Rooney says new Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens “did a lot of good things” in his debut for the club during their 2-0 win over Sunderland in the Premier League.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim says his side were a ‘competitive’ and ‘adult’ team in their 2-0 win against Sunderland at Old Trafford- Amorim’s 50th game in charge.
The aerial view on the medals incorrectly used an outline of Sunderland and the River Wear
Great North Run organisers have apologised after medals given to participants in this year’s event featured the wrong city and river.
About 60,000 people completed the 13.1m (21km) half-marathon on Sunday with each of them handed a medal incorporating an image of what was supposed to be an aerial view of Newcastle, Gateshead, South Shields and the River Tyne.
However, acknowledging the items actually showed nearby Sunderland and the River Wear which have no involvement in the event, the Great Run Company admitted it had “made a mistake”.
The image’s designer, Newcastle-based artist Howard Lee, has been approached for comment.
In a statement organisers said “eagle-eyed” people had spotted the error, which was also featured on merchandise such as clothing.
They claimed it made it “the most unique t-shirt and medal in Great North Run history, a keepsake that we’ll be talking about in 44 years’ time”.
“Wear sorry!” they said, in a joking reference to Sunderland’s Wearside location.
“To answer the rumours that this was the route reveal for next year… sorry to disappoint, it’s a mistake.
“Lots of people looked very closely at the designs and none of us picked it up.
“We had Newcastle United stars on the start line and the Stadium of Light on the medal.
“The Great North Run is truly a celebration of the region, even more so than we had planned.”
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About 60,000 people were given medals when they reached the finish line in South Shields
The event’s founder, Sir Brendan Foster, said he had “spent ages marvelling” at the designs and “never spotted the mistake” even when they were displayed in the window of city centre department store Fenwick.
He added: “I’ve lived on the River Tyne my whole life and I should’ve noticed.
“But if I’d run the Great North Run yesterday, I’d still be wearing my medal with pride.
“Thanks to everyone who took part in an amazing event yesterday and all the supporters who came out to cheer on the runners.
“It was a fantastic Great North Run, and we’re already looking forward to 2026 after we’ve brushed up on our geography.”
Ahead of the event, artist Mr Howard said he felt “very privileged” to have been involved with this year’s medal, which he described as being “quite a striking design”.
Match of the Day pundit Wayne Rooney explains why Sunderland’s ability to sit deep and hit teams on the counter attack could be the key for the newly promoted side to avoid relegation, after their first match back in England’s top flight ended in a 3-0 win over West Ham at the Stadium of Light.
Coventry had almost 60% of the ball on the night as Lampard’s side had 20 shots to Sunderland’s 16.
And Le Bris, who has now led Sunderland to a play-off final against Sheffield United in his first season at the club, conceded the visitors were the better team in normal time.
“It’s really fantastic because this scenario was absolutely incredible,” Le Bris told Sky Sports.
“We were probably too nervous for the first part of the game.
“During extra time, we were good. We played our football and we just enjoy it now.”
For Coventry, it’s a painful end to a season which has been on an upward trajectory since Lampard replaced Mark Robins in November.
Former Chelsea and Everton boss Lampard took over with the club 17th in the Championship and led them to a fifth-place finish, winning 16 of his 29 league games in charge.
“If anyone watched the two games, we dominated at home, we made a mistake and they scored,” Lampard told Sky Sports. “I think we dominated huge periods of this game [too]. We played, controlled and in the second half it was wave after wave.
“The players have given everything from where we’ve come from – 17th in the league in December and the players have been brilliant in the second half of the season.
“We’re not bitter, and congratulations to Sunderland, but we were the better team over the two football matches and that’s why they’ll be so happy going to Wembley.”
