Sunderland will put their unbeaten start to the season on the line this weekend when Leeds United travel to Wearside.
The Whites are also yet to taste defeat and Saturday’s late kick-off is shaping up to be an unmissable encounter.
- Watch Simon Grayson's pre-match press conference
- Purchase tickets for the game
- Read the manager's reaction to Snodgrass link
STADIUM OF LIGHT RETURN
Sunderland’s opening Sky Bet Championship seems an age ago! So much has happened in the two weeks since that draw against Derby County, but, much to the delight of Simon Grayson, it’s been positive with his side yet to lose a competitive game. The unforgiving nature of the Championship did seem to take its toll at Hillsborough, though, with the tiring Black Cats hanging on at the end as Sheffield Wednesday peppered Jason Steele’s goal, but they managed to see it out and showed a grit that will be vital moving forward. Perhaps a factor behind that was a gruelling six-day schedule which saw the Lads travel to Bury, Norwich City and Wednesday, so a return to Wearside will be a welcomed not only by the players, but the red and white army who have clocked up some serious miles already.
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
So, what’s the deal with Leeds United? The Whites are also unbeaten and like Sunderland they’ve won one and drawn two of their Championship outings, while also progressing in the Carabao Cup. After finishing seventh last season, a shock departure saw Garry Monk leave Elland Road before eventually joining Middlesbrough. Italian owner Andrea Radrizzani, who purchased the club in January, named Thomas Christiansen as Monk’s replacement. The Dane moved to Barcelona as a youngster and made his debut in the UEFA Super Cup against Werder Bremen, but he primarily featured for the Catalans’ B team before turning out for the likes of Villarreal, VFL Bochum – where he finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorer in 2003 – and Hannover 96. Big things are expected from both the Whites’ owner and their fans this season as they seek a top-flight return following 13 consecutive years in the Football League, so the pressure is on.
ONE TO WATCH
Look no further than Chris Wood when assessing the Leeds ranks ahead of the game. The 25-year-old banged in an impressive 27 league goals last season – four more than runners-up Glenn Murray, Tammy Abraham and Dwight Gayle – to claim the Championship golden boot, and he’s already of the mark this campaign after finding the net against Bolton on the opening weekend. The striker is an international team-mate of fellow All White and Sunderland under-23 defender Sam Brotherton, and both represented New Zealand at this summer’s Confederations Cup. Wood has been prolific at nearly every club he’s played for in recent years, finding the net on a regular basis for Brighton & Hove Albion, Birmingham City, Milwall and Leicester City among others. And he’ll without a doubt pose the biggest threat to Sunderland’s unbeaten record this weekend.
INSIDE OUT
You can expect Grayson to know Leeds inside out despite their being a new manager at the helm. After all, the Black Cats boss grew up supporting the club and progressed through their academy before making a handful of first-team appearances. In 2008, the 47-year-old fulfilled a lifelong ambition and became Leeds manager, and he made an immediate impact winning his final 11 home games of the season to match a 40-year-old record set by Don Revie. Play-off heartbreak followed but Grayson ensured his side bounced back with a memorable season ending in promotion as he also dispatched Manchester United in the FA Cup. He also guided the Whites to a seventh-place finish in their first season back in the second tier, which is a feat that Leeds’ next 10 managers have failed to top. But make no bones about it, Grayson says they’ll be no time for sentiment on Saturday as he aims to heap misery on his former club.
TEAM NEWS
Sunderland have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the game but there has been an update on the fitness of Josh Maja. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Grayson revealed that Maja will miss up to five weeks after undergoing knee surgery earlier in the week. Bryan Oviedo and Jack Rodwell both returned to action for the under-23s last week but weren’t involved at Hillsborough, so the duo could play their first competitive games of the season this weekend. Paddy McNair and Duncan Watmore remain on the road to recovery but have been tipped to return following the international break, so the Black Cats could be handed a big boost in just a few weeks’ time. Leeds, meanwhile, are hoping Liam Cooper can return after missing their midweek draw with Fulham, but Matthew Pennington and right-back Gaetano Berardi remain sidelined. Liam Bridcutt will be hoping to feature on his return to Wearside, but the midfielder has been heavily linked with a move away from Elland Road in the last few days.
FOLLOW ALL THE ACTION
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Nick Barnes and Gary Bennett will be in the commentary booth from 2pm and we’ll have coverage across safc.com and our social media channels from Facebook to Instagram.