Sunderland head into Sunday’s home clash with Leeds propping up the Premier League standings and seeking to end a run of four successive EPL defeats.
The Black Cats have found goals hard to come by, failing to net in three of those four defeats, and their profligacy in front of goal came to a head once again at Lech Poznan in the Europa League during the week.
Regis Le Bris’s side took the lead early in that game but were made to rue missing plenty of opportunities as their Polish hosts equalized in the second half to end Sunderland’s perfect start in that competition.
That 1-1 draw means eight of Sunderland’s last 10 games in all competitions – and five of their last six in the Premier League – have all featured fewer than three goals.
Leeds have been praised for their start to the season and they have certainly been hard to beat, losing once in seven league games, but they have also picked up just two top-flight wins.
Two of the Whites’ last three games have gone under 2.5 goals – both were drawn – and they have built much of their early-season resilience on a strong defense, as heading into the weekend only Arsenal and Brighton had conceded fewer goals than their total of six.
Sunderland vs Leeds prediction: Under 2.5 goals (-140) available at time of publishing. Playable to -150.
