Le Bris: Xhaka is like a second coach - he's vital for the Cats' young players

Reinildo Mandava has hailed the influence of Granit Xhaka on and off the pitch at Sunderland after the stunning comeback win over Chelsea.

- by Phil Smith

Granit Xhaka celebrates with Dan Ballard, Eliezer Mayenda and Lutsharel Geertruida.

Xhaka delivered another strong performance for the Black Cats at Stamford Bridge as they battled back to overturn Alejandro Garnacho's early goal, sealing a 2-1 win thanks to Chemsdine Talbi's stoppage-time winner.

Former Atlético Madrid left-back Reinildo made his return from a three-match suspension in the game and produced an excellent individual performance, but credited Xhaka not just for his own performance but for his leadership in helping the team navigate a difficult early spell.

Reinildo also outlined just how key Xhaka has been in helping to gel a new-look squad and drive standards on a daily basis.

"Granit is a very big player and playing with him is special," Reinildo said.