Sunderland 0 – 0 Leeds United: A Little Perspective, Please

Sunderland 0 – 0 Leeds United: A Frustrating Afternoon at the Stadium of Light

Following my pre-match article for Leeds’ trip to the Stadium of Light, I received death threats, a barrage of racist comments about Leeds, and a cute little quip about my article “not being very professional” after one Sunderland supporter went out of his way to track down my LinkedIn profile. All in all, you could argue that it was a successful article.

Unfortunately, if we were expecting the same blood and thunder on the pitch yesterday, we were left bitterly disappointed. Strong winds had supporters questioning whether the match would even go ahead, and by the time the final whistle blew, I suspect more than a few wished it hadn’t.

Sunday seemed like the perfect time to be playing Sunderland following their away trip to Poland on Thursday night, but it was the hosts who looked the more likely to open the scoring. Leeds were predictably lacklustre in the first half, with Brenden Aaronson and Harry Wilson once again failing to impress. Aaronson is often made a scapegoat by sections of the Leeds fanbase, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to make excuses for his performances at this stage of his Leeds career. The one thing I will say in his defence is that Farke should never have put him in a position to fail yesterday, with the wind constantly threatening to blow him into the North Sea.

Leeds struggled to create anything resembling a clear-cut opportunity, which is becoming something of a worrying trend. At the other end, Trafford and the defence were kept busy without ever looking particularly troubled. Remarkably, Sean Longstaff, introduced in the 89th minute, came closest to breaking the deadlock on two occasions, forcing a brilliant save from Roefs before seeing another effort cleared off the line by his own teammate, Lukas Nmecha.

The post-match reaction from Leeds supporters online was predictably negative, perhaps understandably so given that our draws against Crystal Palace and Manchester United are beginning to look like increasingly poor results. But I do think a little perspective is needed here. This is only our second season back in the Premier League. We’ve taken points off high-flying Brighton and Brentford, demolished Newcastle, and currently sit seventh in the table with just one defeat to our name. Yes, we’ve struggled to create chances in recent weeks, and there are clearly areas of the team that need improving, but we’re becoming an increasingly difficult side to beat.

Let’s not forget that it wasn’t all that long ago we were finishing 15th in the Championship every season, with no prospect of ever escaping.  Another season or two of mid-table Premier League mediocrity is fine by me.

Sunderland 0 – 0 Leeds United: Player Ratings

James Trafford – 8

Conditions today would be a nightmare for any keeper. Trafford dealt well with balls into the box, and made some key saves, including a great one-on-one with Brobbey. Extra point for drawing the ire of Sunderland fans by standing on the ball and waiting for Sunderland’s attacking players to press him. Exceptional.

Jayden Bogle – 6

Looked the most likely to create something for Leeds down the right-hand side. Some nice balls into the box. Kept busy by Angulo.

James Justin – 5

Supported Bogle in attacking down the right, but was wasteful with his balls into the box.

Jaka Bijol – 8

Brought in as a late replacement for Elvedi who was ill Saturday night. Conditions made this a difficult game for CBs with balls over the top, and despite looking shaky at times, I thought he dealt with Brobbey very well, keeping him shackled throughout. Made some excellent blocks, and gets my MOTM award for his return to the starting lineup.

Tarik Muharemović – 7

Not at his best, but it wasn’t the conditions for flashy defensive work. As solid and reliable as per usual.

Gabi Gudmundsson – 6

Wasn’t able to attack down the life as we know he can. Reliable in defence.

Ethan Ampadu – 6

Large parts of the midfield were bypassed in favour of causing havoc with long balls in the wind. Helped Leeds dictate play when we were on top. Helped shield the defence when Sunderland had control.

Ao Tanaka – 5

Not at his best today. Has been snapping into challenges since the beginning of the season, but I didn’t see the same intensity from Tanaka today. Should have been taken off sooner.

Brenden Aaronson – 2

Completely anonymous throughout the game, and when he did get on the ball, it usually ended with him giving it away. He has no business being the automatic replacement for Okafor. Time to see what Bahoya can do – check out my article because I’m a huge fan.

Harry Wilson – 3

Patience is wearing thin with Wilson. Positionally, he looks lost. There was a moment in the first half where he was speaking to Farke about where he was supposed to be on the pitch. When he does get on the ball, he does absolutely nothing with it. Considering his total package will have been well over £20m, it’s disappointing that he is looking like a total dud.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 5

A difficult game for the centre-forward when he was supported in attack by the two most disappointing players on the pitch. Caused problems for the Sunderland defence and should have had a penalty. Wasn’t helped by the abysmal performance by Attwell.

World After The Bell Man of the Match 👑 Sponsored by SOL Project Solutions

Jaka Bijol

Enjoyed this? After The Bell will always be free. If you'd like to support the site, you can buy me a coffee and cake. It's Farke's favourite. 🤍💙💛