Sunderland new signing Darren Bent yesterday began justifying the 10 million pounds spent to bring him over from Tottenham Hotspur with a superb winning goal in the season opener against city rivals Bolton Wonderers (0:1). The England international was rewarded with 19 rating points in our system and now has an overall FTBL rating of 95.25 points.

In the FTBL ranking of English strikers, Bent now substantially trails only Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney (183.35 points), while Tottenham Hotspur’s Jermain Defoe (96.97 points) and Peter Crouch (95.92 points) are now within reach. Defoe will have a plank of 6 rating points to beat and Crouch just one when Spurs meet Liverpool, but earning points against last season’s runners-up in the world’s toughest league will be a tall order, to say the least. If Spurs lose, Bent could well overtake his two nearest rivals in the ranking.