The wind did most of the work at the Stadium of Light on Sunday. It bent crosses, killed free-kicks and turned goal-kicks into lottery tickets, and by full-time Leeds and Sunderland had played out a goalless draw that nobody will remember for the football. They will remember James Trafford.
Four saves, none of them easy
The Leeds goalkeeper was busy when it mattered. In the first half he twice denied Brian Brobbey, first at full stretch to parry an awkward, bouncing effort from the edge of the area, then with a well-timed dive to smother a one-on-one outside his six-yard box. After the break he stopped Nilson Angulo twice more.
He was candid about the conditions. "The wind was obviously extremely windy, the conditions were a bit mad to be honest," he told Sky Sports. "I just had to try and hit the ball a bit flatter, but the wind was all over the place." Sunderland's Luke O'Nien made the same point from the other end: credit to both defences, he said, to keep it goalless in swirling wind. Robin Roefs had his share of big saves too, and Nordi Mukiele went off injured for Sunderland, though Regis le Bris said he was fine.
The England argument
Leeds paid £40 million to sign Trafford from Manchester City in the summer, and the argument for it is easier to make with every start. In eight league games he has three clean sheets and has conceded six goals. Jordan Pickford has three clean sheets too, but has conceded nine for Everton.
Thomas Tuchel has not settled it. Trafford won his third and fourth caps in October's Nations League games, starting the 3-2 defeat to Spain and the 2-0 win over Czechia, before Pickford returned for the 7-0 and 3-0 wins over Croatia and Czechia. England face Croatia and Spain in their last group games in November. Trafford has kept the rivalry friendly. "Me and Picks are both northern lads and we get along really well," he told The Guardian in September.
Two sides, one point
For Leeds it was a fifth draw in eight league matches, which tells you what kind of side they are right now: hard to beat and light on goals. "We need to score more and concede less," Trafford said. Sunderland stay bottom of the table with five points. Le Bris was pleased with the effort, saying "we were Sunderland today" and that his team had probably deserved a little more. They play again on Wednesday and then face Coventry.
Match facts: Sunderland 0-0 Leeds United, Premier League, Stadium of Light, Sunday 25 October 2026. No goals; Leeds goalkeeper James Trafford made four saves (two v Brian Brobbey, two v Nilson Angulo). Sunderland manager: Regis le Bris. Leeds have drawn five of their first eight league games.
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