Sunderland boss David Moyes has told the Sunderland Echo just how pleased he is with his goalkeeper this week, saying that Vito Mannone "played really well" in the Black Cats' 2-2 draw with Liverpool last Saturday.
Italian stopper bounced back to play a major part in his side's comeback
Mannone was on top form against the lethal attack of the Reds, and despite conceding twice the number 25 made several top drawer saves to keep his side in the game before Jermain Defoe's two penalties at the other end secured a point for the Wearsiders.
In fact, the 13 saves made by the Sunderland stopper on Saturday is the most achieved by any Premier League goalkeeper so far this season, so he has certainly set the bar high for himself in the near future.
Even more impressive is the rapid time in which Mannone bounced back from an extremely poor day at Burnley just two days prior, with Moyes himself saying that he expected better from the Italian in the 4-1 defeat.
O'Shea confident in Mannone's ability in the absence of star man
Speaking about his performance against Jurgen Klopp's side, Moyes said that "it was important for him" to perform well "especially after the Burnley game."
"We’ve needed our goalkeeper, whoever it’s been, and we needed him against Liverpool” said Moyes, who has a break from the Premier League this weekend with an FA Cup third round fixture with Burnley on the horizon.
Captain John O'Shea was also on hand to praise the performance of his keeper, saying that despite the injury to Jordan Pickford "to have someone like Vito coming in is fantastic for us".
O'Shea was keen to remind supporters that "it’s about the collective unit" and that the performances of the team rather than the individual are "what’s got us out of trouble the last few seasons."