Alious
Paul Merson believes Sunderland will come out on top in what he has described as a “humongous” Premier League encounter against Leeds United on Sunday afternoon, backing the Black Cats to make home advantage count in a crucial clash.
Sunderland welcome Daniel Farke’s side to the Stadium of Light for the first time since both clubs were competing in the Championship last season. Confidence is relatively high on Wearside, with the hosts unbeaten in their last two outings. A memorable derby victory over Newcastle United earlier this month was followed by a hard-earned 0-0 draw away at Brighton and Hove Albion, and Regis Le Bris’ side will be keen to stretch that run to three matches.
Leeds arrive in the North East in strong form themselves. The Whites are unbeaten in four games, having picked up impressive wins against Chelsea and Crystal Palace either side of draws with Liverpool and Brentford. That sequence has lifted them clear of early-season trouble, opening up a six-point cushion above the relegation zone after what had initially been a difficult start to life back in the Premier League.
A major factor in Leeds’ resurgence has been the red-hot form of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The summer recruit has hit six goals in his last five appearances, providing Farke’s side with a cutting edge that had previously been missing. Despite acknowledging the striker’s impact, however, Merson remains convinced that Sunderland will have enough to see off their in-form visitors.
Writing in his weekly prediction column, Merson underlined the scale of the contest for both clubs. He highlighted Leeds’ dramatic turnaround, pointing out how quickly fortunes can change in football after recalling a recent match at Manchester City where their season appeared to be drifting. Now, he believes Leeds have the quality to steer clear of relegation if they can sustain their momentum, particularly with a proven goalscorer like Calvert-Lewin leading the line.
Merson even suggested Everton may regret allowing the striker to leave, imagining how dangerous he could have been alongside creative talents such as Jack Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye. Nevertheless, despite Sunderland being without several key players due to the Africa Cup of Nations, Merson was impressed by their resilience in recent weeks and expects them to return to winning ways on Sunday.
He has predicted a narrow 2-1 victory for the home side.
Merson is not alone in siding with Sunderland. Fellow pundits Jeff Stelling and Chris Sutton have also tipped the Black Cats to claim all three points, both forecasting 1-0 wins. Stelling, in particular, pointed to Sunderland’s strong home form, describing the Stadium of Light as a fortress and questioning Leeds’ consistency on the road. He also emphasised the atmosphere that is likely to greet both teams, with two of the Premier League’s most passionate fanbases set to create a thunderous backdrop.
With so much at stake and contrasting runs of form colliding, Sunday’s encounter is shaping up to be one of the weekend’s most compelling fixtures.
Alious
