Sunderland 1 Leeds 1: A sublime team goal, Rodon injury, and a dominant second half
Beren Cross looks at the main talking points from Leeds' display at Sunderland
Whatever Daniel Farke said to his players at half-time at the Stadium of Light, he should try to repeat the trick.
Within two minutes of the restart, Leeds scored a quite sublime team goal, with all 11 players involved in a 12-pass move that was deftly guided home by Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Of course.
The striker scored for the sixth Premier League game in a row as Leeds came from behind to earn a point at Sunderland.
It could so easily have been more, too: Calvert-Lewin brought the ball down beautifully to feed Brenden Aaronson in the first half, only for his shot to be cleared off the line, and Jayden Bogle and Calvert-Lewin collided in their bid to add a second.
Simon Adringa had put Sunderland ahead after 28 minutes, dispatching Granit Xhaka’s delightful pass with a right-foot curling finish, and Joe Rodon was forced to come off in the 31st minute after two challenges on his right ankle.
Following a draw that puts Leeds United seven points ahead of 18th-placed West Ham United, Beren Cross analyses the key talking points…
A Leeds goal for the ages
Dominic Calvert-Lewin kept himself in the national headlines (and the conversation for a place in England’s World Cup squad) with his seventh goal in six matches, but the build-up to that strike is what should stick in the memory. All 11 Leeds United players touched the ball in a 12-pass move from one end to the other before their No 9 applied the finish.
Jaka Bijol got things moving a couple of yards away from the right side of the away penalty area. There was a small triangle of passes from him to Ethan Ampadu, to Ao Tanaka, to Jayden Bogle, who then went longer to Bijol, back towards the centre.
Calvert-Lewin’s goal also saw all 11 Leeds players touch the ball in the build-up.#SUNLEE pic.twitter.com/dkdUx5EwFK
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) December 28, 2025
The Slovenian then went back to Lucas Perri inside the six-yard box. The goalkeeper moved it wide left to Pascal Struijk, who exchanged a one-two with Gabriel Gudmundsson before driving the ball forward to Noah Okafor.
Okafor was still in the Leeds half, but space had begun to open up as he then moved it inside to a marauding Anton Stach. The German had arguably the most important pass in the move as he drove the entire team upfield with a ball into space for Brenden Aaronson.
(Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)
Aaronson, between the halfway line and the Sunderland area, held off a challenge to carry into the box before slipping a low pass into the six-yard area for another Calvert-Lewin special from close range.
(Stu Forster/Getty Images)
What did this result mean for Leeds?
On another day, Leeds United win this game. After an even first half, they utterly dominated the second period, fuelled by the early equaliser Calvert-Lewin squeezed home in the 47th minute.
By full time, Farke would have wondered how his team were not taking another three points from this excellent run of form they have found. They are now unbeaten in five matches and, most importantly, an extra point away from the drop zone.
Sixteenth place continues to sound precarious, but United are now seven points clear of West Ham United in 18th and only two points behind Bournemouth. An away draw, especially as a new face in the division, is never a bad result, but Farke and his charges will be ruing what could have been.
Furthermore, the character shown to respond again to going behind was admirable. Sunderland have, rightly, been lauded for their performances this season and have been very strong at the Stadium of Light. United would have been forgiven by neutrals for collapsing after falling behind here.
As it was, they stabilised in an even first period before putting their foot on the home throat in the second half. They just couldn’t find that slice of luck, quality, or refereeing decision to tip it their way.
How did Rodon’s injury change the game?
After receiving so many plaudits for breaking the 100 barrier for consecutive league starts, Joe Rodon must have known an unexpected issue would be around the corner. The Leeds United centre-back had to limp off in the 31st minute after awkwardly bending his right ankle twice.
Within the game’s opening five minutes, Rodon was left in a heap after a challenge by Brian Brobbey. Television replays showed the Wales international’s right ankle hyperextended, and he took a little while to gingerly get to his feet.
The 28-year-old did not quickly run it off either. It took several minutes for him to look like he was running anything like comfortably when, unbelievably, he bent the same ankle in the same place.
Adingra challenged Rodon and when he went down, he repeatedly punched the turf, doing several half-rolls in pain, too. Treatment did come from the club’s medical staff this time, but he again hobbled back on to continue.
Joe Rodon finally admits defeat (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Rodon struggled on through the throw-in, which eventually saw Sunderland take the lead. He was marginally playing Adingra onside when the pass was threaded to him for a finish.
As the hosts celebrated, Rodon went down and Ao Tanaka came on, switching Leeds back into the 4-3-3 we have seen for so much of this season. It didn’t see much of a change in momentum for the rest of the first half, but the second period started with a United transformation as Rodon watched from the bench with his right ankle in a protective boot.
What was said after the game?
Speaking to Sky Sports, Calvert-Lewin discussed his knack for scoring goals from the centre of the pitch: “I think it’s something that, when you find a good rhythm and good momentum, the timing seems to come with it. As a centre-forward, you can make a lot of runs sometimes and not get the ball, and you need a lot of things to come together for it to be a goal, so thankfully at the moment my form is good and I’m getting in the right places and I’m scoring goals.”
The forward also praised his team-mates for providing those chances. “Everything feels quite fluid at the moment,” he said. “I’m getting in the right areas and people are finding me. I think it’s taken a little bit of time for players around me to maybe learn my game and what I’m good at, but I like to think when I get service and the ball comes to me, I’m lethal in the box.”
What next for Leeds?
Thursday, January 1: Liverpool (away), Premier League, 5.30pm UK, 12.30pm ET