Sunderland managed to secure a point during their match against Leeds United despite facing significant pressure from the home team.
The Black Cats adopted a defensive approach with five players at the back, including Timothee Pembele making his debut and Callum Styles replacing Leo Hjelde.
Mike Dodds anticipated a strong attacking performance from Leeds, featuring players like Crysencio Summerville and Dan James, and Leeds indeed dominated possession with 70% and completed 616 passes compared to Sunderland’s 280.
However, Sunderland effectively limited Leeds to just one shot on target out of their 12 attempts while creating three scoring opportunities of their own.
Despite their defensive strategy, Steve Bruce expressed surprise at Sunderland’s commitment to defensive play throughout the match.