CALVERT-LEWIN’S RED-HOT FORM COULD REWRITE LEEDS UNITED HISTORY — BUT THE REAL TRANSFER STORY CHANGES EVERYTHING
⁸How quickly the football landscape can change. The last time Leeds United travelled to Sunderland, Illan Meslier was the club’s undisputed No.1 — only for a stoppage-time error to gift the Black Cats victory and leave Daniel Farke fuming. Fast-forward to today and the Frenchman now finds himself third-choice, watching on from the sidelines as Leeds return to Wearside in very different circumstances.
Sunderland, promoted alongside Leeds last season, have stunned the Premier League with their fearless, direct football. Twenty-seven points from 17 games represents a remarkable start, and even Farke admits he expected them to adapt smoothly to the top flight.
“My gut feeling was that they wouldn’t need to change their style too much,” the Leeds boss said. “They were already compact, already dangerous on transitions. I thought they would do well — but to be this effective is impressive.”
The contrast between the clubs has not gone unnoticed. Sunderland remain ahead of Leeds in the table despite losing several key players to the African Cup of Nations, including big-name summer signings Habib Diarra and Noah Saiki. Between them, six Sunderland stars are away on international duty — over 50 Premier League appearances worth of talent — yet there is still a sense that the Black Cats have built enough momentum to cope.
Their summer recruitment was widely praised, as was their financial position under the league’s profit and sustainability rules. Leeds managing director Robbie Evans even admitted Sunderland had enjoyed a “perfect storm” — promotion, player sales, low wages and a full stadium — allowing them to spend big while staying compliant.
Leeds, meanwhile, have had to be smarter rather than richer. Bulk, height and set-piece threat have been prioritised, and the results are showing. All four goals in their recent win over Crystal Palace came from dead-ball situations — a tactical shift born from necessity and calculation rather than luxury.
But for all the spreadsheets and tactical boards, one player continues to dominate the headlines: Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Signed on a free transfer after leaving Everton, the England international has rediscovered both form and belief at Elland Road. His brace against Crystal Palace saw him become the first Leeds striker since Mark Viduka in 2003 to score in five consecutive Premier League games — and now he stands on the brink of history.
If Calvert-Lewin finds the net at the Stadium of Light, he will become the first Leeds player in 65 years to score in six straight top-flight matches. From doubts over fitness to murmurs about his future, the turnaround has been emphatic — and the Leeds faithful have a new hero to serenade.
His confidence is infectious. His movement sharper. And with Leeds relying on efficiency rather than extravagance, the striker’s ruthlessness in front of goal has become priceless.
The narrative only adds spice to an already mouth-watering fixture. Last season, Leeds crushed Sunderland’s automatic-promotion hopes with a dramatic late comeback at Elland Road. Now the Black Cats sit eight points ahead in the Premier League and are desperate to cement their status as more than just survival hopefuls.
Leeds, for their part, continue to evolve under Farke. Stronger, smarter and more pragmatic than the chaotic sides of recent years, they now carry a set-piece threat to match any team in the division. The mood inside the dressing room is growing in belief — and victory here would feel symbolic.
Sunderland will again look to their intensity, transitions and togetherness. Leeds will lean on structure, discipline and the most in-form striker in the country.
- History, form and rivalry all collide under the Stadium of Light floodlights — and should Dominic Calvert-Lewin strike again, he won’t just secure another vital result.
