Sunderland dark arts vs Leeds United put into stark focus as time-wasting figures emerge
Leeds fell to a frustrating 1-0 defeat against Sunderland on Tuesday.
Habib Diarra scored the only goal of the night at Elland Road, with his 70th-minute penalty inflicting Leeds‘ second home defeat in a row.
Daniel Farke’s side were frustrated throughout the night, while the decision to award a penalty due to an Ethan Ampadu handball further enraged the fanbase.
Leeds still sit 15th in the Premier League, but missed a big chance to extend their gap to the bottom three against their fellow promoted outfit.
Further adding to the frustration, data showcasing Sunderland’s dark arts on the evening has proven just how they did a job against Leeds.
- Read more: Keith Hackett speaks out on incident in Leeds loss vs Sunderland that left Elland Road ‘enraged’
Data emerges that will frustrate Leeds fans
While stoppages are becoming more and more commonplace across the Premier League, there are not many matches that can live up to the standards of just how frustrating Tuesday night was at Elland Road.
As revealed by LUFCDATA on X, there were 105 stoppages throughout the encounter, as Sunderland looked to pick up a big away result against their fellow promoted sides.
Alongside this, it was revealed that Sunderland’s stand-in goalkeeper Melker Ellborg spent four minutes taking just six goal kicks across the match, while the Black Cats spent eight minutes taking their 19 throw-ins.
For comparison, Leeds had the opportunity to take 22 throw-ins on the night, spending four and a half minutes doing this.
Though, while the frustration is understandable, the simple fact of the matter is that Sunderland went to Elland Road, and picked up a difficult away result – something that has been hard to come by for multiple sides this season.
- Read more: Jermaine Beckford ‘absolutely embarrassed’ by what he saw in Leeds United loss vs Sunderland
Leeds need to reset over FA Cup weekend
After dropping two points late on against Aston Villa at the back end of February, Leeds have lost two on the bounce – albeit against a title chasing Manchester City side, and a Sunderland outfit on their way to a magnificent finish.
The Whites sit 15th in the standings, but have missed multiple chances to extend the gap in recent weeks as sides below them have continued to stumble.
Leeds have a welcome break from league action this weekend, as they battle with Norwich for a spot in the FA Cup quarter finals.
Farke’s side have gained momentum from the cup twice this season so far, with wins against Derby and Birmingham. Another win against Championship option could see them gain the form needed.
Next up, Leeds face Crystal Palace and Brentford in the league, as they look to extend their gap to the drop zone.
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