Overview
Leeds was once expected to cause no small difficulties for Manchester City after drawing Chelsea and Aston Villa, especially in the context of Erling Haaland's absence due to injury. However, the reality at Elland Road took place according to the familiar scenario of Pep Guardiola's team.
Antoine Semenyo perfectly replaced Haaland's role when he scored the only goal to help Man City win 1-0. Meanwhile, coach Daniel Farke could not hide his anger after the match, and was directly shown a red card by referee Peter Bankes for his harsh reaction. According to assistant Eddie Riemer, the frustration stemmed from Leeds's claim that Man City was wasting too much time in the final minutes.
Despite the 4-match unbeaten streak being stopped, Leeds is still 6 points ahead of the relegation group - a gap that shows a significant revival from the beginning of the winter. The defeat to Man City is only their third defeat in the last 16 matches in all competitions since the beginning of December. However, the defense issue is still worrying as Leeds has conceded in 10/11 recent matches, only keeping a clean sheet against Fulham.
In the opposite direction, Sunderland is in a completely different position compared to last season. From a gap of 24 points behind Leeds in the Championship last season, they are now 6 points ahead of their opponent. Regis Le Bris's team even almost increased the gap when Eliezer Mayenda opened the score against Bournemouth, but Evanilson's header caused them to leave the field with only one point.
Despite ending a 3-match losing streak, Sunderland's away form is still a big question mark. They have not won in their last nine Premier League away games, losing 5 and drawing 4 since the surprise victory over Chelsea in October. The head-to-head record with Leeds also does not support them, as they have not won in the last 4 matches, since the 1-0 victory in December 2023 thanks to a goal by Jobe Bellingham.
The upcoming confrontation is therefore colored by two contrasting stories. Leeds is trying to maintain a safe distance from the dangerous group, while Sunderland must prove that their position is not just a momentary one.
Personnel situation
Leeds entered the match with almost full force. Noah Okafor is the only name absent due to a hamstring injury sustained in the FA Cup and will have to rest for a few more weeks. In that case, Daniel Farke has almost the entire strongest squad in hand.
After a performance full of effort against Man City, it is likely that Leeds will not have too many changes. Although Farke is suspended and cannot directly direct outside the box, he can keep the starting lineup if the key players ensure fitness.
Lukas Nmecha is a possible rotation option for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, especially when this striker has a long injury history and may need to be physically preserved. In midfield, Tanaka and Sean Longstaff are ready to compete for a position with Ilia Gruev after the Bulgarian player's unconvincing performance in the previous match.
On the other side, Sunderland did not record any new injuries after the draw with Bournemouth. However, the problem is that they have not yet welcomed any players back. Dennis Cirkin, Reinildo Mandava, Romaine Mundle, Brian Brobbey, Nordi Mukiele and Jocelin Ta Bi are all continuing to be absent, significantly reducing the squad depth, especially on the two wings.
In the context of personnel shortage, captain Trai Hume is likely to continue to fill the left-back position. In attack, Bertrand Traore and Nilson Angulo can create competitive pressure with Chemsdine Talbi, but in general Regis Le Bris' choice is still significantly limited.
Leeds has an advantage in depth and personnel stability, while Sunderland has to manage with a patched-up squad. That could make a difference in a match predicted to be tactically rich and without much space.
Expected lineup:
Leeds United: Darlow, Justin, Rodon, Struijk, Bogle, Stach, Gruev, Ampadu, Gudmundsson, Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin.
Roefs, Geertruida, Ballard, Alderete, Hume, Xhaka, Sadiki, Talbi, Diarra, Le Fee, Mayenda.
The match between Leeds United and Sunderland takes place at 2:30 am on March 4 (Vietnam time).
