Sunderland's rise from being held by the clutches of League One to now launching an assault towards the Premier League is a remarkable turnaround in such a short space of time.
Aside from being punished 4-0 by North East rivals Middlesbrough last time out, the Black Cats have been firing across all cylinders this term and that is down to their strong spine consisting of goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, centre-back Daniel Ballard, central midfielder Dan Neil, attacking midfielder Jobe Bellingham and winger Jack Clarke.
While that list of impressive young talent have become instrumental to their early promotion bid, other individuals in the squad perhaps haven't eclipsed last season's form and one of those is the talented Patrick Roberts.
How has Patrick Roberts performed this season?
Roberts was a key figure in Sunderland's play-off campaign last term with Tony Mowbray labelling him as a "natural talent" for showcasing his abundance of skill and trickery.
The 26-year-old's five goals and seven assists from the right flank were the most goal contributions he'd managed in a single campaign for an English club, perhaps an inclination that Roberts was threatening to reach the ceiling of his Premier League potential.
Praised by former manager Alex Neil for being a "little magician", the Englishman has failed to back up that claim and sprinkle some more magic this season.
The fleet-footed winger has impressed with his stunning approach play, dazzling defenders with his precise dribbling and quick acceleration, ranking in the top 16% for progressive carries against his positional peers in the Championship this season, top 5% for successful take-ons and top 1% for carries into the final third, as per FBref.
However, when it comes to the bread and butter of any attacking player – producing an end product to match the build-up – Roberts has fallen short, missing three big chances, only creating one, firing just 0.4 shots per game and accumulating zero goal contributions, via Sofascore.
Compare that to Amad Diallo, who was devastating in the final third last season, and the Manchester United youngster is levels ahead.
Fortunately, reports claim that Sunderland could take him back on loan in January and if that is the case, he could replace Roberts in the starting XI and fire them to promotion.
How good was Amad Diallo last season?
Diallo's impact in the Championship was devastating. The 21-year-old unleashed his exceptional attributes with regularity, including his searing pace, press resistance when carrying the ball, fleet-footed dribbling and an end product to match.
Not only did Diallo rank in the top 6% for progressive passes in the second tier last season, top 8% for shot-creating actions, top 12% for successful take-ons and top 15% for progressive carries, but he also showcased maturity with his decision-making in the final third, as per FBref.
Adored by his Sunderland teammates for the impact he made at the Stadium of Light and dubbed by Luke O'Nein as "incredible", the Ivory Coast international produced stellar numbers and performances to demonstrate why Manchester United paid Atalanta a whopping £37m for him in January 2021.
In 39 Championship appearances, the explosive winger served up 14 goals and three assists from wide as defenders quickly found out that he was near impossible to stop when fashioning space to cut in on his left foot.
Although Roberts is undoubtedly talented, if Diallo were to return in January, he would see him push the Englishman out and deliver the devastating performances that were so crucial in Sunderland's charge into the play-offs last term.
