Full Time
Sunderland and Leeds United drew 0-0 at the Stadium of Light in Matchweek 8, in a windy game short on quality. Brian Brobbey, back from a hamstring injury, came closest for Sunderland, but James Trafford in the Leeds goal kept him out. Dominic Calvert-Lewin went down looking for a penalty for Leeds, but VAR said no, and Sean Longstaff's late shot was cleared off the line. Sunderland had a few more shots, 15 to 11, and still couldn't score. They've now won just one league game from eight this season and sit at the foot of the table by most reports. Leeds, meanwhile, collect another draw to add to their collection.
Pre-match Talking Points
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1Sunderland host Leeds at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, 16:30 UK time (the clocks go back overnight, so check your phone before you panic). Sunderland come in on 7 points from 7 games and sit in the bottom four, with a goal difference of minus six. Leeds are on 8 points and drawn five of their seven, which is either resilience or an inability to close games out, depending on your mood. A Sunderland win lifts them clear of the drop zone; a defeat and the worry lines start to show.
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2This is a proper Yorkshire-versus-North-East grudge match with real history: the clubs have met nearly a hundred times, and Leeds have won well over a third of them. Sunderland lost eight of their first ten Premier League meetings with Leeds, though last season's league games between the two were much tighter, including a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light in December. If a mate says Sunderland always lose this fixture, the honest reply is that it's been a lot closer lately.
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3Player to watch: Granit Xhaka, Sunderland's captain-in-all-but-name midfielder. He's a former Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen man who chose Wearside over bigger names, and he is the reason a newly promoted-style side plays with a bit of swagger. Say his name as 'GRAH-nit JAH-kah' and note that Sunderland tend to look a different team when he controls the tempo. At the other end, keep an eye on Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is the sort of penalty-box poacher who needs only one chance.
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4The subplot is simple: Sunderland have lost four of their seven and conceded 13 goals, so the defensive questions are loud, while Leeds have been hard to beat but light on wins. Neither side can afford a slow start. Check the confirmed team sheets about an hour before kick-off, because injury news is the thing most likely to change the shape of this one.
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5The hook: this is a draw-or-win-or-bust game between two clubs that spent time together in the Championship, so nobody here is a stranger to anyone. Leeds have drawn five of their seven games, so a stalemate is the statistical favourite, which is a nice thing to say out loud and then watch it either come true or look foolish. If you only watch one first-half, make it the opening twenty minutes, when both sets of supporters will be at their loudest.
Team Talking Points
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1Sunderland beat Chelsea 1-0 at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, and it was a big one. It ended a winless run, lifted them off the bottom of the table, and pushed Chelsea out of the top four. Not a bad afternoon's work.
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2The goal was an Enzo Le Fée penalty in the 36th minute, after striker Brian Brobbey was brought down by Levi Colwill. Chelsea moaned that Brobbey had pulled Colwill first. Sunderland fans will tell you, cheerfully, that the decision stood.
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3Chelsea had about 69% of the ball, but Sunderland created the better chances. One stats site had Sunderland's expected goals at 2.55 against Chelsea's 0.53. Translation for the non-fan: the scoreline flattered Chelsea, not Sunderland.
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4Manager Régis Le Bris had been under real pressure going in, so this one mattered. He called it 'crucial', but admitted that the target is still 40 points and there's 'a long way to go'. Sunderland are 19th on eight points, so he's right.
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5First up after the break is Aston Villa away on Saturday 21 November. Then there's the small matter of the Tyne–Wear derby at Newcastle on 5 December. Feel free to ask a Sunderland fan whether they've started thinking about it. They have.
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Top thing to say down the pub
Chelsea had seventy per cent of the ball and Sunderland had all three points. Funny how that works.
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Avoid saying
"Sunderland? I thought they were still in League One." They did spend years down there, and Netflix made a whole documentary about how painful it was. Bringing it up now, with Chelsea freshly beaten, is a quick way to get a stony stare.
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1Leeds beat Tottenham 1-0 at Elland Road on Saturday thanks to Noah Okafor. He came off the bench and scored with his first touch in the 79th minute. Few things make a manager look cleverer than a substitute scoring within two minutes of coming on.
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2The win ended a five-match winless run in the league and stopped a resurgent Spurs side in their tracks. Leeds also had much the better of the chances. Leeds fans will point out it was no smash-and-grab.
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3It wasn't without controversy. Spurs were furious Leeds weren't reduced to ten men, and VAR got plenty of airtime afterwards. Leeds fans will tell you it all evens out over a season. Spurs fans will not.
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4Daniel Farke has Leeds eighth, just two points off a European place. For a club that has spent much of the last few years bouncing between divisions, that's very welcome stability. Mention Europe casually and watch a Leeds fan try very hard not to get excited.
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5Small worry over the break: Leeds midfielder Gudmundsson picked up some hamstring tightness on Sweden duty. Sweden boss Graham Potter says it isn't serious and he should be back on the pitch within days. That's the sort of detail that makes you sound properly plugged in.
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Top thing to say down the pub
Eighth and two points off Europe, and Okafor only needed one touch to beat Spurs. Farke's got Leeds looking like a proper Premier League side again.
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Avoid saying
"Leeds are a yo-yo club" — technically defensible over the last decade, but saying it while they're eighth and eyeing Europe is the quickest way to get a lecture about Don Revie.