Two familiar foes renew acquaintances in the Premier League on Sunday as Sunderland welcome Leeds United to the Stadium of Light, with the hosts currently sitting eight points clear of their fellow promoted side.
Sunderland have enjoyed an impressive return to the top flight and head into the busy Christmas and New Year schedule firmly in the top half of the table. The Black Cats continued that strong start last weekend, backing up a derby victory over Newcastle with a hard-fought 0-0 draw away at Brighton, despite being without several key players who have departed for AFCON.
A return to Wearside will be warmly welcomed by the home supporters. Sunderland remain one of only two teams, alongside Arsenal, yet to lose a Premier League match on home soil this season, underlining just how formidable they have been at the Stadium of Light.
BetBuilder (from Bet365):
Fixed Odds – Draw @ 21/10
Alternative Bet – Under 2.5 Goals @ 4/7
Bet Builder – Over 4 Cards, Sunderland to get Most Shots on Target, Granit Xhaka 2+ Tackles @ 13/2
Sunday’s contest is the first Premier League meeting between the two clubs since December 2002, when Leeds ran out 2-1 winners in the same venue. Almost 23 years on, the balance of power looks rather different, with Sunderland riding a wave of momentum.
Leeds arrive in decent form themselves. Pressure had been building on head coach Daniel Farke, but a four-game unbeaten run has eased concerns. That sequence includes creditable results against Liverpool and Chelsea, capped by an emphatic 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace last time out.
Those results have lifted the Whites six points clear of the relegation zone, a welcome cushion in a season where many had tipped them for an immediate return to the EFL Championship. However, concerns remain over their away form, with Leeds winning just one of their first eight Premier League trips this campaign. Only Wolves boast a worse record on the road.
Despite the eight-point gap between the sides, recent form suggests a tight contest. Both teams have taken eight points from their last five league matches, and recent meetings have been closely fought, producing three draws and a win apiece across the last five encounters.
Last season’s Championship clashes also underlined how little separates them. The meeting at the Stadium of Light ended level after Sunderland grabbed a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser, while the return fixture at Elland Road looked destined for another draw before a late winner settled it in Leeds’ favour.
With Sunderland’s formidable home record set against Leeds’ away struggles, the Black Cats may just have the edge, but all signs point towards a closely contested affair on Wearside.
