Shay Given is absolutely dumbfounded after what Robin Roefs did at Sunderland

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Shay Given was shocked at what Robin Roefs did during the 1-1 draw against Aston Villa and has offered advice to the Sunderland goalkeeper.

Wilson Isidor broke Darren Bent’s record at the Stadium of Light as his 75th-minute goal rescued a point for the Black Cats on Sunday.

Regis Le Bris has enjoyed a sensational maiden campaign in the Premier League thus far as the draw keeps his side well within the top half of the league table and five points clear of the bottom three.

With the exception of the 2-0 loss against Burnley, Sunderland have hit the ground running with two wins and two draws from their opening five matches.

Sunderland have been the surprise package in the top flight, and while they are flying high, Given believes the side should have added another victory against Aston Villa.

Robin Roefs should have prevented Matty Cash’s goal

When speaking on Match of the Day, the former Newcastle United goalkeeper revealed that Roefs should have prevented Matty Cash’s opening goal and got it all wrong with his attempted save.

“Well, I’ll try and stick up for him as best I can. Roefs was on fire last week, but he’s not going to be too happy with this. And it’s a great strike from Cash. And you’ll see Mark from behind the goal, how much the ball moves.

“But I still expect Roefs to save this. You know, this is a really good angle. What we have done, we’ll sort of slow it down as best we can. And he’s gone to punch this for some reason. His actual hands are closed. Mark, now, as a goalkeeper, there’s a lot of power on the shot.

“If he keeps his hands open, he can still pry that away. And last week, Roefs was on fire. This week, Roefs is leaking. What I would say, he’s only 22, he’s only young. He will learn as well.

“But what I’m saying is, when he closes the gap, the balls coming towards, your hands are smaller. Look, and if you open your hands up, mine’s are a bit crooked, it might add. But when you open it up, there’s more of the ball to hit, but the pace is on the shot already. You can still bang it away with your hands open. He closes it, makes his hands smaller, and it goes past and goes off the top of his fists.”

The 22-year-old arrived on Wearside this summer in a £9.1 million move from NEC Nijmegen and has kept Anthony Patterson out of the starting line-up, claiming two clean sheets already.

Sunderland were left in a difficult position after Reinildo kicked out at Cash during the first half at the Stadium of Light, receiving a red card and leaving his teammates a man down for the majority of the clash.

While Granit Xhaka showcased his importance to Le Bris, his assist for Isidor’s equaliser could have been the match-winner for the Black Cats had Roefs dealt with Cash’s strike.

Indeed, Roefs has proven more than competent at competing at this level, but those minor mistakes could be the difference between Sunderland retaining their Premier League status or suffering an immediate return to the Championship.

Regis Le Bris will be pleased with a draw against Aston Villa

Considering that the Villans just fell short of qualifying for the Champions League for the second consecutive season on the final day last term, a draw is a remarkable result for Le Bris.

Sunderland, alongside fellow newly promoted sides Leeds United and Burnley, were widely expected to return to the second-tier ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Now, the Black Cats appear the most likely of the promoted sides to avoid the drop and break the recent trend in the Premier League.

As Given stated, Roefs is a promising young goalkeeper and will undoubtedly learn from his mistakes. The Sunderland supporters will maintain full trust that Roefs is the man who can help the side beat the odds this season.