All 67 words Danny Murphy said about Sunderland on Match of the Day after draw vs Leeds United
Danny Murphy remains full of praise for the season Sunderland are having, despite it somewhat catching up to them on Sunday.
Sunderland drew 1-1 against Leeds United at the Stadium of Light on 28 December, with injuries and international duty playing a huge part.
A second-half goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin cancelled out a superb Simon Adingra opener and ensured the points would be shared between the two newly promoted sides.
Sunderland felt they should’ve had a penalty when Brian Brobbey collided with Lucas Perri in the first half, but nothing was awarded on the field before it was cleared by VAR too.
Dan Ballard was a shock absentee against Leeds, with Regis Le Bris set to be without his star central defender for several weeks.
That will be far from ideal for Le Bris, as Sunderland were already down seven players ahead of Leeds due to a combination of injuries, suspensions and AFCON duties.
Danny Murphy waxes lyrical over Sunderland
The draw with Leeds means Sunderland stay seventh after 18 games, and remain firmly in contention for European football next season.
A huge clash with title challengers Manchester City on New Year’s Day looks set to be an all-time Stadium of Light classic, with nerves creeping in after being dominated for large spells on Sunday.
It’s been a remarkable campaign on Wearside so far, and speaking on Match of the Day, Murphy was keen to stress that despite the frustration at being held to a point against Leeds.
“They (Sunderland) can be very proud of that performance,” Murphy began.
“They had players today that haven’t played many minutes. Adingra was a threat the whole way through. They’ve got a really good squad, they’ve got players who are match-winners, Xhaka’s still leading the team.
“They had moments in the game, but what they’ve done this season, and what they continue to do is a breath of fresh air, really.”
Seven-day period will reveal whether Sunderland can hang in European race
Having already effectively secured their Premier League status, the second half of the campaign will all be about just how far Sunderland can take this fantastic debut term back among English football’s elite.
With just four points separating them and fourth-placed Liverpool as it stands, the Black Cats are still very much in the hunt for some form of European action next year.
- Sunderland remain unbeaten at home in the PL this season, winning five and drawing four
- They are conceding an average of just one goal per game, with only Arsenal and Man City bettering that
- Sunderland are only scoring an average of 1.1 goals per game, though, which is 15th-fewest in the PL
But, over the course of seven days starting on New Year’s Day, Sunderland’s European qualification credentials are going to be tested to the limit.
After kicking off 2026 against Man City, Sunderland will then travel to Tottenham on 4 January, before heading back to London to play Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
So, should Sunderland come through that week still sitting around where they currently are in the table, then they will have proven that they can push the big boys all the way to the end this season.
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