Leeds United ‘worry’ shared from Elland Road after costly loss vs Sunderland
Leeds United suffered a big blow in their Premier League relegation fight after losing 1-0 to Sunderland, and Michael Brown shared his “worry” after the game.
Daniel Farke‘s side are six points above the drop zone after their setback at Elland Road on Tuesday night, with Habib Diarra scoring the winner after late controversy.
The Black Cats were awarded a penalty in the 70th minute after Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu was penalised for a handball, and Diarra’s poor effort squirmed in off Karl Darlow.
Joe Rodon had seen a header disallowed for offside just minutes earlier, and despite the hosts being the better team for large spells, they were unable to find a crucial equaliser.
Leeds undone by lack of quality vs Sunderland
Leeds were foiled by Sunderland’s debutant goalkeeper Melker Ellborg on several occasions, with the Swede saving Anton Stach’s first-half free-kick and Jaka Bijol’s late header.
Farke will have been frustrated with the Whites’ wastefulness, and Brown, the former Manchester City and Leeds midfielder, says a lack of cutting edge proved their undoing.
Brown told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Leeds, they pushed, they gave everything. But they didn’t have the composure. They didn’t find the answer. Their quality let them down in big moments.
“It was a big moment. They will be asking about the penalty. It was one of those, some people will say it was, some people will say it wasn’t as Ethan Ampadu moved his arm away.
“Dark arts helped them win away. They found a formula. It’s a huge result for Sunderland. It’s a worry for Leeds United, but what an ending we’ve just seen.”
Farke refused to be drawn into Sunderland’s stalling tactics, but he will know this was a missed opportunity. While it is not quite panic stations yet, there is still work to be done.
- Read more: Jermaine Beckford ‘absolutely embarrassed’ by what he saw in Leeds United loss vs Sunderland
Could Leeds really be relegated?
Without a win in their last four matches, Leeds’ Premier League status is still not secure.
The damaging defeat by Sunderland leaves them perilously close to the relegation zone, but the gap will be cut to just three points if West Ham beat Fulham on Wednesday.
In truth, the Yorkshire outfit did not do enough to stretch their opponents, who were content to sit in a compact shape and take their chances on the counter-attack.
They will therefore have to learn their lessons, and quickly.
There will be a brief respite from the top flight when they host Norwich City in the FA Cup on Sunday, before they begin a season-defining run, with Crystal Palace and Brentford next up.
Results in those two matches will likely decide whether Leeds pull away from the dogfight at the foot of the table or spend the rest of the campaign nervously looking over their shoulder.
For more reaction to Leeds’ controversial loss to Sunderland, head over to Football Insider.