Great thread - now it’s started I cannot be accused of Jinxing the the most underrated Football club in the world - thank you.
Sunderland v Leeds United - Stadium of Light, 2pm
League Position:
∙ Sunderland: 6th with 27 points
∙ Leeds: 16th with 19 points
Key Absences:
Sunderland - heavily depleted:
∙ Noah Sadiki, Chemsdine Talbi, Reinildo Mandava, Bertrand Traore, Arthur Masuaku, Habib Diarra (all AFCON)
∙ Luke O’Nien (suspended), Aji Alese (shoulder)
Leeds:
∙ Lukas Nmecha (thigh), Sean Longstaff (calf), Daniel James (thigh)
Form:
∙ Sunderland: Unbeaten in 9 home games, scoring in all 9. Two consecutive clean sheets but only 1 goal in last 3 matches.
∙ Leeds: Won 2, drew 2 of last 4. Scored 3+ in three of last four. Beat Palace 4-1, drew 3-3 with Liverpool, beat Chelsea 3-1.
∙ Leeds away: Just 1 win in last 9 away games (at Wolves), but scoring in last 3 on the road while conceding in all 9.
Head to Head:
∙ Leeds won last meeting 2-1 in February (Championship). Farke’s only win in 6 against Sunderland.
∙ At Stadium of Light: Sunderland lead 24-16 in 48 games.
Key Factors:
1. AFCON is massive - Sunderland missing 6 players including Diarra (their record signing) and Traore. That’s a huge chunk of attacking threat gone.
2. Leeds’ xG surge - They’ve recorded xG of 1.5+ in each of last 6 matches . Creating plenty.
3. Sunderland’s set piece threat - Grant Xhaka has 4 assists from set pieces since joining from Leverkusen. Dan Ballard a danger from corners - more attempts at goal than anyone bar Wilson Isidor.
4. Leeds’ away problem is real - Only win at bottom club Wolves. But their recent attacking form (3 goals vs Chelsea, 3 vs Liverpool, 4 vs Palace) shows genuine firepower.
Assessment:
This is closer than the table suggests. Sunderland’s AFCON losses are significant - they’re relying heavily on Brobbey up top with limited attacking support. Leeds have found form at exactly the right time with Farke’s 3-5-2 clicking.
Sunderland’s home fortress vs Leeds’ away struggles creates genuine tension. The Black Cats will likely focus on set pieces given their depleted options - Ballard from Xhaka deliveries is their best route to goal.
Leeds should create chances but historically struggle to convert away. Both teams to score looks likely given Leeds’ recent scoring run and Sunderland’s home record.
Odds: Sunderland 8-5, Leeds 6-4, Draw 15-8
Draw or low-scoring Leeds win feels the shape of this. Sunderland’s missing bodies might just tip it.
Looks like it’s a must needed 3 pts on the road win for Leeds