BY OUR MAN AT THE STADIUM OF LIGHT
THE STADIUM OF LIGHT was bouncing, th I’lle Wearside faithful were dreaming of the top five, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin clearly didn’t get the festive memo.
In a pulsating encounter that proved the North East remains the most atmospheric cockpit in English football, Sunderland’s home fortress was held to a 1-1 draw by a resurgent Leeds United.
For 45 minutes, it looked like a red-and-white coronation. The noise inside the 49,000-seater cauldron was deafening when Simon Adingra broke the deadlock in the 28th minute. Fed by a pass of pure velvet from Granit Xhaka, the winger curled a beauty into the far corner, sending the Stadium of Light into a state of absolute delirium.
But the “Light” was dimmed just two minutes after the restart.
Leeds, who have found a new backbone under Daniel Farke, silenced the home stands with a goal of breathtaking quality.
A sweeping 12-pass move—involving every single Leeds player on the pitch—ended with Brenden Aaronson fizzing a low cross into the danger zone. There was only ever going to be one man there.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin stole a march on his marker to poke home, becoming the first Leeds player in 65 years to score in six consecutive top-flight matches.
The venue lived up to its billing as the most intimidating stage in the Championship-turned-Premier League rivalry. Every Leeds touch was met with a chorus of boos that shook the foundations, while the 3,000 travelling Whites responded with a wall of sound from the North Stand.
Sunderland should have restored their lead before the break, but Brian Brobbey’s header rattled the crossbar with the goal gaping—a miss that felt like a punch to the gut for the Black Cats fans.
As the clock ticked down, the Stadium of Light became a pressure cooker.
Adingra urged the fans for one last “H’way,” and the roar nearly carried Omar Alderete’s late header into the net, but Leeds held firm.
Sunderland remain unbeaten at home this season—a record that still stands proud—but as the fans filed out into the cold Wearside night, there was a sense of what might have been. For Leeds, this was more than a point; it was a statement that they belong in the big time.
