Premier League · Matchday 8 Sunderland under pressure as Leeds arrive at the Stadium of Light
Sunderland face a Leeds side they beat only in March, with the hosts searching for a first win of the run. Leeds arrive seventh and in far better shape.
📍 Stadium of Light
All Matchday 8 matchesFull head-to-head
Match facts
Recent form
Last 5 league games, latest on the right
Goals per game
| · | Scored | Conceded |
|---|---|---|
| Sunderland | 0.9 | 2.0 |
| Leeds | 1.3 | 0.9 |
PreviaXI model
- Predicted score
- 0-1
- Expected goals (model)
- 1.27 – 1.32
- Double chance
- 12 · 71%1X 63% · X2 66%
- Over 2.5 goals
- 48%
- Both teams score
- 54%
- Expected corners
- 8.34.3 – 4.0 · Over 9.5: 33%
- Expected cards
- 4.02.0 – 2.0 · Over 3.5: 56%
Statistical model based on expected goals (xG), results and match statistics from the last two seasons. For information only. How our model works →
Why the model sees a close match
- Power ratings: Sunderland -0.27 goals per game (18th of 20 in Premier League), Leeds +0.06 (9th).
- Sunderland's attack (1.19 goals per game) meets Leeds's defence (1.36 conceded per game).
- Leeds's attack (1.42) meets Sunderland's defence (1.46).
- Home advantage in this competition: home sides score about 22% more goals.
- Put together, the model expects 1.27 – 1.32 goals: Sunderland 34%, draw 29%, Leeds 37%.
Absences
Sunderland
- OutD. Ballard · Muscle Injury
- OutK. Danso · Red Card
- OutR. Mundle · Knee Injury
- DoubtfulW. Isidor · Injury
- DoubtfulT. Meunier · Muscle Injury
Leeds
- OutM. Joseph · Knee Injury
- OutJ. Rodon · Muscle Injury
- DoubtfulD. Calvert-Lewin · Foot Injury
- DoubtfulN. Okafor · Groin Injury
- DoubtfulA. Stach · Groin Injury
Injury and suspension list from our data provider, updated every 6 hours. It can change before kick-off.
Chance to score
Sunderland
- B. Brobbey3 goals in 6 games32%
- E. Le Fée2 goals in 10 games17%
- N. Angulo1 goals in 9 games9%
Leeds
- D. Calvert-Lewin4 goals in 9 games25%
- J. Bogle2 goals in 8 games14%
- J. Justin2 goals in 9 games14%
Model estimate: each player’s season goals per minute compared with his team’s, applied to the model’s expected goals for this match and his usual minutes. Players listed as out are left out.
Trends
- 6 of Sunderland’s last 8 matches had under 2.5 goals.
Season stats
| · | Sunderland | Leeds | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| · | All | Home | All | Away |
| Won-drawn-lost | 1-1-5 | 1-0-2 | 2-4-1 | 1-1-1 |
| Goals scored per game | 0.86 | 0.33 | 1.29 | 1.00 |
| Goals conceded per game | 2.00 | 1.33 | 0.86 | 1.00 |
| xG per game | 1.52 | 1.51 | 1.42 | 1.19 |
| xG against per game | 2.07 | 1.41 | 1.39 | 1.73 |
| Scored in | 57% | 33% | 86% | 100% |
| Clean sheets | 14% | 33% | 29% | 33% |
| Failed to score | 43% | 67% | 14% | 0% |
| Both teams scored | 43% | 0% | 71% | 67% |
| Over 1.5 goals | 86% | 67% | 71% | 67% |
| Over 2.5 goals | 29% | 0% | 29% | 33% |
| Over 3.5 goals | 14% | 0% | 14% | 0% |
| Shots per game | 11.6 | 12.0 | 11.9 | 10.7 |
| Shots on target per game | 4.0 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 4.3 |
| Shots on target | 34% | 28% | 34% | 40% |
| Possession | 48% | 49% | 47% | 40% |
| Passes per game | 401.9 | 391.7 | 385.6 | 311.3 |
| Pass accuracy | 79% | 79% | 75% | 73% |
| Corners per game | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Corners against per game | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.0 |
| Cards per game | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 2.7 |
| Fouls per game | 11.4 | 12.0 | 12.7 | 16.7 |
League matches this season (Premier League). Per-game averages; % = share of matches.
When goals come
Sunderland
- 0-151 / 2
- 16-300 / 2
- 31-452 / 1
- 46-601 / 5
- 61-751 / 0
- 76-90+1 / 4
Usual formation: 4-2-3-1
Leeds
- 0-151 / 0
- 16-300 / 0
- 31-452 / 3
- 46-603 / 0
- 61-750 / 3
- 76-90+2 / 1
Usual formation: 3-4-2-1
Goals scored (green) and conceded (orange) by 15-minute period, league matches this season.
Premier League table
| # | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Manchester City | 8 | +11 | 21 |
| 2 |  Arsenal | 8 | +8 | 21 |
| 3 |  Brighton | 7 | +18 | 16 |
| 4 |  Chelsea | 8 | +2 | 13 |
| 5 |  Liverpool | 7 | +1 | 12 |
| 6 |  Aston Villa | 8 | -3 | 11 |
| 7 |  Brentford | 7 | +5 | 10 |
| 8 |  Leeds | 7 | +3 | 10 |
| 9 |  Everton | 8 | -1 | 10 |
| 10 |  Ipswich | 8 | -4 | 10 |
| 11 |  Hull City | 7 | +1 | 9 |
| 12 |  Tottenham | 8 | -2 | 9 |
| 13 |  Fulham | 8 | -2 | 8 |
| 14 |  Newcastle | 7 | -4 | 8 |
| 15 |  Manchester United | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 16 |  Crystal Palace | 7 | -8 | 7 |
| 17 |  Bournemouth | 7 | -4 | 6 |
| 18 |  Nottingham Forest | 8 | -4 | 6 |
| 19 |  Coventry | 8 | -9 | 6 |
| 20 |  Sunderland | 7 | -8 | 4 |
Next matches
Sunderland
- Sat 31 OctCoventry – SunderlandPremier League
- Thu 5 NovSunderland – Dinamo ZagrebUEFA Europa League
- Sun 8 NovSunderland – ChelseaPremier League
Leeds
- Sat 31 OctBournemouth – LeedsPremier League
- Sat 7 NovLeeds – TottenhamPremier League
- Sat 21 NovChelsea – LeedsPremier League
Head-to-head: last 10 meetings
Sunderland 3 wins · 4 draws · Leeds 3 wins
- 30/07/2026Sunderland0-1LeedsPremier League - Summer Series
- 03/03/2026Leeds0-1SunderlandPremier League
- 28/12/2025Sunderland1-1LeedsPremier League
- 17/02/2025Leeds2-1SunderlandChampionship
- 04/10/2024Sunderland2-2LeedsChampionship
- 09/04/2024Leeds0-0SunderlandChampionship
- 12/12/2023Sunderland1-0LeedsChampionship
- 07/04/2018Leeds1-1SunderlandChampionship
- 19/08/2017Sunderland0-2LeedsChampionship
- 04/01/2015Sunderland1-0LeedsFA Cup
Leeds beat Sunderland 1-0 in July’s Summer Series clash at the Stadium of Light, and little has gone the home side’s way since. Sunderland sit bottom of the Premier League with four points from seven matches and a goal difference of -8. Leeds are seventh on 10 points. On Sunday, another defeat would deepen the sense of crisis around the club.
Sunderland’s slide deepens
The pressure is building on Sunderland’s manager and players. They have conceded 12 goals in their last five league matches, an average of 2.4 per game, and they have scored just four in the same period. The problem goes beyond one bad result. This is a side that has struggled to stop goals for most of the campaign.
Form: four defeats in five
Sunderland’s last five league games have produced four defeats and a draw. Their season sequence reads LWDLLLL, so the only recent win came early in the campaign.
Leeds have been far more solid. Their last five matches have brought three draws, one win and one defeat, with seven goals scored and five conceded.
Head-to-head: Leeds hold the upper hand
Leeds have won two of the last five meetings, Sunderland one, and two have ended level. Sunderland’s only success in that run was a 1-0 victory at Elland Road in March, so they know how to beat Leeds. The Summer Series defeat, however, is the more recent reminder of where the rivalry currently stands.
Team news: Danso out, several doubts
Sunderland are without K. Danso, who is sidelined after a red card, and R. Mundle, who is out with a knee injury. D. Ballard, W. Isidor and T. Meunier are all doubts, with two of them carrying muscle problems.
Leeds are missing M. Joseph (knee) and J. Rodon (muscle), while D. James is a doubt with a back injury.
Our prediction
PreviaXI’s model favours Leeds, and the game looks tight rather than one-sided. Sunderland have the pressure and the need for a result, but their defensive problems and missing players make them vulnerable. Leeds are the steadier side at the moment, and a narrow away win fits the picture.
Sunderland 0-1 Leeds
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