The opening stages of this game were perhaps the furthest thing from a Christmas cracker imaginable, with the only contentious incidents surrounding Joe Rodon, who was twice clattered by two challenges that went unpunished.
His decision to stay and hobble on was one which proved costly to Leeds too, as it was his failure to get across to Simon Adingra, who met Granit Xhaka’s impressive reverse pass and curled home the opening goal on 28’.
Rodon was swiftly withdrawn after the goal, and Ao Tanaka’s introduction helped Daniel Farke’s men win a corner, via which Jaka Bijol could only power directly at Robin Roefs.
The biggest chance of the remaining first-half play also fell Leeds’ way five minutes before the break, when Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s delicate lay-off teed up Brenden Aaronson, whose effort was destined for the far corner until a heroic Trai Hume block on the line.
The Sunderland goal had lived a charmed life before the break, but that finally expired within three minutes of the restart.
A sweeping Leeds counter attack had the Sunderland defence all at sea, and Aaronson took full advantage by finding Calvert-Lewin, who swept home to become the first Leeds player to score in six successive top-flight games since John McCole back in 1959/60.
It was largely one way traffic towards Roefs’ goal for most of the second half, but Leeds were struggling to land the knockout blow on the Black Cats. Jayden Bogle spurned their best chance to nose ahead when he could only bundle a bouncing ball wide of the far post.
Farke’s men were unable to translate their dominance into a winning goal, as they were forced to settle for a point, but given that stretched their buffer to the drop zone to seven points, that certainly wasn’t a disaster. Sunderland remain in the thick of the European race but will see this as a huge opportunity missed.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United)