Sunderland vs Leeds United: Early team news, goal and score updates from Stadium of Light

Leeds United visit the Stadium of Light this evening aiming to keep up their winning run against a manager-less Sunderland side after the Black Cats parted company with Tony Mowbray.

Leeds' visit to Wearside tonight is their first since a 2-0 win over Sunderland in August 2017. Since then, the two sides have been on vastly different trajectories, with the north-east club dropping into League One at the same time Leeds sparred with the Premier League's big-hitters.

This season, the pair are promotion hopefuls with United having been relegated from the top flight looking to bounce straight back, while Sunderland's hopes of a Premier League return were dashed by Luton Town in the play-offs last term.

Daniel Farke was especially pleased with his team's performance at Blackburn Rovers over the weekend but may be forced into changes this evening after Sam Byram was withdrawn midway through the second half with a hamstring injury in that fixture. The quick turnaround also means the team have had minimal time on the training pitch since Saturday lunchtime's 2-0 victory.

Kick-off this evening is at 8pm. Team news arriving from 7 o'clock at the Stadium of Light. All the build-up, line-ups, and live match updates here throughout the night.

Sunderland vs Leeds United LIVE

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023, 20:44 BST

Oof

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023, 20:41 BST

Yellow

40' O'Nien into the referee's notebook. Leeds free-kick deep into S'land's half.

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023, 20:38 BST

Home side on top

37' Bellingham free header on the penalty spot from another Sunderland corner. Guides it wide this time. Needs fixing.

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023, 20:32 BST

Oh my word

30' SAVE! What a save by Meslier. Bellingham glides into the box and meets Sunderland's corner with a powerful header but the big Frenchman pulls out a stop of the highest order. Similar to that one at Leicester, clawed away.

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023, 20:31 BST

Let-off

30' OFF THE LINE! Melee of bodies in blue manage to clear Pritchard's set-piece delivery when all it needed was prodded home. Big chance for the home side.

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023, 20:29 BST

A long 70 minutes

28' Archie Gray fouls Jack Clarke in some Thorp Arch-on-Thorp Arch friendly fire. Yellow card for the youngster. Free-kick Sunderland.

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023, 20:23 BST

Wide

22' Pritchard curls an attempt from the edge of Meslier's box. Leeds 'keeper stretching but it's wide of the far post.

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023, 20:20 BST

Chance

19' Summerville and Piroe, latterly with the shot, crowded out in the Sunderland area after a good line-breaking pass from Struijk to find James.

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023, 20:17 BST

Nobody giving an inch

16' Spence shoots from range and Rutter gets a flick on it with his head as it's passing through. Goal kick. Still quite a tentative game.

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023, 20:14 BST

Danger

13' Clarke almost weaves his way through, sitting Jame down as he breaks into the box, but Archie Gray is equal to it, gets a foot in and concedes a corner.

Sunderland 1-0 Leeds United highlights: Black Cats defeat Whites on Wearside