Granit Xhaka Can Break Record That's Stood Since 1997 vs Man Utd

Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka will be hunting down a Black Cats record when he leads his team out against Manchester United this weekend.

Xhaka and Sunderland face the Red Devils in one of only two Saturday 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League looking to continue their fine start to the new season.

The last six teams promoted from the Championship have all been relegated at the first time of asking but Sunderland, Leeds United and Burnley have done enough to indicate that they're capable of putting up more of a fight in 2025-26.

Under Regis Le Bris, Sunderland have started the season with a single defeat in their first six Premier League matches.

They've beaten West Ham United, Brentford and Nottingham Forest, and drawn with Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.

Chris Waddle lining up for England (Image: Getty)

Since the home win against Brentford on the last Saturday in August, Xhaka has assisted three goals in a row.

In laying on another, the Swiss international and former Arsenal midfielder would become the first Sunderland player to record four consecutive assists since 1997.

The last player to achieve the feat was Chris Waddle, who joined the Wearside club in March 1997 more than two decades after making his name at bitter rivals Newcastle United.

He played seven league games in red and white – a tally Xhaka will also match if he features against Man Utd this weekend – but managed to squeeze a goal out of his brief Sunderland sojourn as well as piling up the assists against Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, Liverpool and Middlesbrough.

Xhaka on international duty (Image: Getty)

Waddle totalled five assists for Sunderland in before departing in May and joining Burnley as player-manager.

33-year-old Xhaka signed for Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window and has had a telling impact on the newly promoted outfit.

Xhaka's Premier League assists

The first of the Black Cats skipper's back-to-back assists came in stoppage time against Brentford in August, when he teed up the winning header for Wilson Isidor.

He set up Isidor again, this time with a header of his own, as ten-man Sunderland equalised against Villa last month.

And the former Gunner made it three on the spin by creating a headed goal for Omar Alderete against Nottingham Forest last weekend.