LEEDS PREVIEW
After another midweek exertion in the UEFA Europa League, the Lads return home to Premier League action and the Stadium of Light for a Sunday teatime date live on Sky Sports. Arriving in SR5 are famous adversaries Leeds United, with whom we have enjoyed many battles over the years in all competitions. The Lads currently are struggling in the Premier League, which is in stark comparison to the Europa League campaign, but could this Sunday be a beautiful one for us Black Cats?
LAST MEETING
We have played Leeds exactly 100 times in all competitions going into Sunday’s fixture, but it’s the Peacocks who have won the majority of them with 41 wins to their name compared to our 37 successes. Of those 37 wins, 25 of them have been on home soil so the Lads will be keen to keep that advantage. The last encounter here on Wearside saw the teams shake hands on a 1-1 draw which was also live on Sky. Simon Adingra gave us the lead after 28 minutes with what is still his only goal in the red and white, Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalised a couple of minutes after half time.
OUR OPPONENTS
After last season had been at times, a fraught affair where they were in the bottom three a few times, this season has been a much better one for Daniel Farke’s men. The German, whose nose looks like he has been in the ring with Tyson Fury, has seen his side sit inside the top eight but they have been a bit of a draw specialist. Of their seven league fixtures, they have drawn four of them.
The Peacocks spent £40 million this summer to bring James Trafford in from Manchester City where he had struggled to get game time since the arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma in Eastlands. Trafford is of course well versed to us, remember his antics at Turf Moor when he was at Burnley and we missed a couple of penalties there? Absolute top level s**thousery from the custodian, and I’m sure he will get a fair bit of verbal in his direction if he tries repeating it.
The aforementioned Calvert-Lewin is an excellent target man that has seen his injury-hit career rejuvenated since arriving on a free transfer from Everton in August 2025. This renaissance in his career led to a recall to the national side this year after a five year absence. He certainly will be a handful for whoever is in central defence for us. Another new arrival is defender Noah Elvedi, an international team mate of our very own Granit Xhaka. Overall, they will pose us a huge test as we try to climb the Premier League standings.
THE LADS
It’s safe to admit that the league season hasn’t gone to plan at the moment for us. Tottenham’s win over Coventry on Monday night dumped us at the bottom of the standings, but all isn’t actually lost to be fair.
If results have gone our way earlier, that is Manchester United defeating last Sunday’s conquerors AFC Bournemouth, then we know that a win over the Peacocks will see us escape the bottom three. In fact, a win and also Crystal Palace losing – could see us rise as high as 16th and that would be a massive confidence boost for us all.
We will be without the suspended Kevin Danso for Sunday’s game as the Austrian serves a one game ban. BBB has missed the last four games since being injured on international duty with the Netherlands but RLB has hinted he could be ready to play against the Peacocks. I’m, though, expecting the following to be our line up:
Roefs
Mukiele – O’Nien – Alderete – Reinildo
Xhaka – Sadiki
Diarra – Ahoka – Le Fée
Tutierov
REF WATCH
Sunday’s man in the middle is Stuart Attwell from Nuneaton. Attwell has been a Premier League official since 2008 but has courted a few controversies since then. His last game involving Sunderland was our penultimate home game of the season where we drew 0-0 with Manchester United. This season has seen him issue 25 yellow cards and 2 reds so it could be a very feisty affair with a few cards dished out like wedding confetti if Attwell’s record so far is to be believed.
