As we close in on the Premier League matchup between Liverpool and Sunderland in a Top 8 clash, the Black Cats have some ballers this season that need to be acknowledged.
Obviously the Reds have more talent on paper, but that paper has been torn to shreds over the last few months, so nothing is guaranteed.
While the majority of our focus is on what Arne Slot needs to get from his side, how he should line them up and more, this article is focusing on three Sunderland players that will need to be accounted for if we want a win on Wednesday.
Granit Xhaka
The Swiss midfielder has been loving life back in England following his surprise move back to the Premier League from Bayer Leverkusen over the summer.
If you remember him from his Arsenal days, he was a rugged and sometimes dirty, defensive midfielder that lived to break up play and get in your head.
For Sunderland, he is playing with more responsibility in the attack as he has been allowed to drive forward when given the chance, and as a result he leads the club in assists and chances created.
His battle in the midfield against a Ryan Gravenberch or Alexis Mac Allister could honestly be the deciding factor in who comes out of this match with the three points in the bank. His leadership has also been on full display for the newly promoted side, so he will be a challenge on all fronts.
Xhaka has 76 progressive passes in the league this season, which is an absurd 31 more than the second most in their side. He is the driving force behind Sunderland getting forward at all times.
Brian Brobbey
The Dutchman has been the most effective forward for Sunderland in recent weeks as he has bagged two goals and an assist in mostly limited playing time over his last five league appearances.
While Wilson Isidor leads the team in goals, it's Brobbey that has been in better form and brings a physical and direct element to his game that has been the exact kind of thing to unsettle the Liverpool defense during this tough run.
His pace and power will be something that Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk need to be aware of at all times and watching them do battle will be one of the highlights of this match.
His link-up play is also an underrated aspect of his game and even if he stays in his super sub role and does not start, he will be extra dangerous running at tired Liverpool legs in defense.
Sunderland do not score a boatload of goals, but players like Brobbey make them more than worthy of some extra focus from the Reds perspective.
Nordi Mukiele
Slot won't be the only able to deploy tall powerful defenders in this match as Mukiele, standing 187cm, will be more than a threat in the air and on the ground.
He leads the Black Cats in both tackles and tackles won in the Premier League this season. His 16 dribblers tackled is tied for the club lead, meaning he will not be fooled by a lot of the trickery on the ball that Liverpool has in spades.
He generally plays on the right side of defense as a the centre-half or occasionally as an outright right-back. This versatility allows him to remain comfortable from almost any position defensively.
The Frenchman is very much like Konate in that he accompanies his good size with speed to cover ground quickly if a team hits a counter or has ideas of putting a goal threat in action.
At a time where we have seen Liverpool concede a lot from set-pieces, Mukiele could prove to be a very enticing option in the box as he wins a lot of aerial duels all over the pitch.
He's also comfortable carrying the ball out of defense, so a high-pressure line from the Reds forwards would go a long way to neutralizing this and cutting off this vital connector to the Sunderland midfield at any given time.