Leeds United analysis: A point at Sunderland as Storm Boelo takes centre stage

The Premier League may be the greatest league in the world, but it still produces its fair share of instant forgettables. Leeds United’s goalless draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light was one of them.

The trampoline sitting beside the main road two miles from the ground, blown there from some poor bairn’s garden, said everything about the conditions on Wearside. It might have been as eventful as the afternoon itself.

Storm Boelo made its presence felt from the opening minutes, turning anything aerial into a lottery and making the flight of the ball almost impossible to predict.

One James Trafford long ball was held up in the wind; another sailed beyond its intended target. In his post-match interview, the Leeds goalkeeper described the conditions as “extremely windy”. He was not wrong.

Players from both sides struggled to find their targets with passes and deliveries, producing a scrappy opening in which neither team could establish much control.

Leeds settled into possession slightly better and enjoyed a few moments around the Sunderland penalty area, including an off-target effort from Jayden Bogle.

Still, the hosts had the first genuine opportunity.

Brian Brobbey collected the ball around 20 yards from goal with little pressure on him before sending a bouncing effort towards the bottom corner.

Trafford reacted sharply, palming the ball around the post to prevent Sunderland from taking an early lead.

Leeds attempted to bypass the conditions by going long from the back, bringing Dominic Calvert-Lewin into a series of footraces with Luke O’Nien.

Yet by the midway point of the first half, the visitors had little to show for their efforts.

It was Sunderland and Brobbey who came closest again, with the hosts almost capitalising on a combination of Harry Wilson’s mistaken belief that he had been fouled and Jaka Bijol failing to put enough on a back pass.

Trafford came off his line decisively, winning the one-on-one with Brobbey to keep the score level.

The remainder of the half offered little to remember. Sunderland cut off passing angles and restricted Leeds’ ability to find joy out wide, leaving long balls as the visitors’ most reliable route forward.

Calvert-Lewin was the main beneficiary, although even he struggled to make a decisive impact.

The striker saw an appeal for a foul against O’Nien ignored after another ball over the top, before the Sunderland defender fairly won their next duel.

It was an illustration of Leeds’ limitations in the first half: they could create the occasional awkward moment, but rarely looked capable of turning one into a clear-cut chance.

There were no personnel changes at the interval, but Leeds emerged with greater intent. They spent more time in the Sunderland half and began to find small openings, even if the quality of the football remained far from convincing.

Bogle delivered a cross towards the back post which found Gabriel Gudmundsson, but the Swedish international hammered his effort over the crossbar.

Tarik Muharemović then showed his threat from set pieces, meeting a Harry Wilson corner with a header that went straight at Robin Roefs.

After Bogle had another attempt blocked, James Justin curled an effort wide.

For a brief period, Leeds looked the more likely side to find a breakthrough. However, it was never one-way traffic, and Trafford remained the busier goalkeeper by some distance.

He threw himself to either side to keep out dangerous Sunderland strikes, while a corner from the right caused a spell of pinball in the Leeds penalty area and required an important block at the back post.

Momentum swung back and forth like the crisp packets and litter blowing around the technical areas.

Leeds responded once more when Ao Tanaka turned sharply and shot towards goal, forcing Roefs into a save. Calvert-Lewin could not react quickly enough to capitalise on the rebound.

The contest never developed into anything resembling slick passing football. The ball travelled up and down, forwards and backwards, with players struggling to control their first touches and judge the flight of even straightforward passes.

At times, it seemed beyond the control of anyone on the pitch. Boots became trampolines, and possession was often lost almost as soon as it had been won.

Yet the final six minutes of added time offered Leeds their best chance of snatching a victory.

Former Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff was booed onto the pitch by the Sunderland supporters, but briefly threatened to silence them when he drilled a shot towards goal from distance.

Roefs got across to palm the effort wide, keeping his side level.

Longstaff then found himself with another opportunity inside the penalty area after the ball broke into his path.

For a moment, a late Leeds winner looked possible, but his shot struck Lukas Nmecha. Two blocked efforts from Noah Okafor bookended those opportunities as the visitors pressed for a decisive breakthrough.

If either side was going to find a late winner, it looked most likely to arrive at the Sunderland end. But the opportunity never came, and the referee brought an increasingly frustrating afternoon to a close.

Neither side could claim to have played particularly well, and few players on the pitch could feel too aggrieved by the result.

Leeds left the Stadium of Light in seventh place with 11 points, while Sunderland remained at the bottom of the table on five.

For the visitors, the positives were clear enough. Another clean sheet away from home, a strong performance from Trafford and a defensive unit that continues to refuse to concede big chances provide solid foundations for the season.

Only champions Arsenal had conceded fewer goals at the time of the match, underlining the progress Leeds have made without the ball.

Trafford was particularly important on Wearside. His early save from Brobbey set the tone, while his intervention in the one-on-one prevented Sunderland from taking advantage of one of the few occasions when the Leeds defence was exposed.

He remained alert throughout, making further stops as the hosts threatened after the interval.

Bijol and his defensive colleagues also deserve credit for their work under pressure. The Slovenian international produced a series of important blocks and challenges, while the back line generally dealt well with Sunderland’s attempts to exploit the conditions.

Those foundations suggest Leeds have the makings of a solid Premier League season.

What happens at the other end of the pitch will help determine whether solid can become spectacular.

That was the most obvious area for improvement in the performance. Leeds struggled to create consistently, relying heavily on balls over the top and isolated moments rather than sustained attacking combinations.

Their late pressure offered encouragement, but the lack of a decisive finish ultimately cost them the chance to take all three points.

Farke was keen to explain after the game that the attacking issues were partly a consequence of the disrupted training week, with several forward players only returning to the training pitch shortly before the trip to Sunderland.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Noah Okafor and Anton Stach had all experienced fitness problems, while Brenden Aaronson and Wilson were asked to contribute after limited recent involvement.

The manager felt a point was a good result, particularly for a club in its second season back in the Premier League.

Leeds had travelled to a difficult ground, faced a Sunderland side determined to respond in front of its supporters and negotiated conditions that made good football almost impossible.

There is merit in that assessment. Points earned away from home can become increasingly valuable as a season develops, and Leeds have already seen how the significance of a result can change with time.

Their draw against third-placed Brighton, for instance, may look more impressive as the campaign progresses.

The opposite could be said of the point against Manchester United, depending on how the season unfolds.

The Sunderland draw will ultimately be judged by what follows. If Leeds build on their defensive strength and become more productive in the final third, the point could form part of a successful run.

If attacking inconsistency persists, the missed opportunity to beat a side they had chances to overcome may become more frustrating.

For now, the clean sheet and another point on the board are useful returns from a difficult away fixture. But nobody will be in a hurry to revisit a windy afternoon on Wearside.