"It's important (Xhaka's return) because he sets the tone. Xhaka's appearance was cut short after Tyler Adams caught the Sunderland skipper on his ankle, earning a yellow card. Clearly in pain, Xhaka was withdrawn in the 76th minute as Sunderland held on for a point and defender Dan Ballard underlined the captain's influence. "We've missed him of late and we've had our toughest run of the season," Ballard told BBC. I think we've done that today.

Source: BBC February 28, 2026 18:55 UTC