In what has been a season full of change for Sunderland, under Tony Mowbray they finally seem to have settled somewhat and found some consistency.
Starting well under Alex Neil, his surprise exit will have frustrated fans who thought the progress made by the Scotsman would then go to waste.
Who has been most improved under Tony Mowbray?
However, with last night’s win, the Black Cats have moved up to 12th in the Championship and will have their sights set on an unlikely but wholly possible promotion push.
This victory ended a run of eight games where they had won just once.
Although Amad Diallo’s late goal sealed the result, the opener from Alex Pritchard summed up a season’s worth of graft for someone who often goes under the radar.
The 29-year-old actually received the joint-highest rating of anyone on the pitch, and as well as his goal won 100% of his ground duels and touched the ball 48 times too.
This is nothing new for the midfielder, who following their playoff final victory was described as having a “superb work rate” by journalist Phil Smith.
Following this win over Huddersfield Town, Pritchard was further lauded by journalist Josh Bunting who claimed he was “getting back to his best” now.
His average SofaScore rating of 7.07 is further indicative of his consistency in the side, where he has featured in every single one of their league games this season.
This rating actually sees him ranked third amongst his teammates too, even above the resurgent Dennis Cirkin, who has two goal contributions in his last five matches under Mowbray.
It may have been his first goal of the campaign, but with three assists too, he has more than contributed to the surprising success that they have had so far.
Pritchard offers an incredibly steady option in the Sunderland midfield and can always be relied upon to produce solid performances.
The fact that he makes 2.2 key passes per game as well as 1.4 tackles further highlights his all-around game and the vast scope of what he does for the team.
His continued involvement marks a Mowbray masterclass, and with another completely winnable game coming up against 18th-placed Cardiff City at the Stadium of Light, he must stay right where he is to give them the best possible chance of back-to-back wins.
