Leeds’ defence keeps making a case for investment. A 0-0 draw at Sunderland extended the team’s record to just six goals conceded this season, and delivered standout Fantasy Premier League returns for goalkeeper James Trafford and defender Tarik Muharemovic. The match offered less encouragement for attacking picks, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin failing to take a shot.
The weather and the scrappy play made this a tough watch, but the defensive numbers were useful for FPL managers. Here’s what stood out from the Stadium of Light.
Trafford and Muharemovic lead the returns
Trafford (£5.0m) finished Gameweek 8 as its highest-scoring goalkeeper, with 10 points. He made four saves, including a one-on-one stop against Bryan Brobbey, and now has 30 saves overall, second-most in the league. His 88.2% save rate is the best among goalkeepers.
Leeds’ defensive strength helps explain Trafford’s output. The club has conceded six goals, one fewer than Arsenal, and the addition of Muharemovic (£5.1m) appears to have improved an already capable back line.
Muharemovic collected nine points against Sunderland: a clean sheet, 13 defensive contributions and a bonus point. He has scored 43 FPL points, ranking seventh among defenders, and has returned at least four points in seven of his eight appearances. That consistency is making him an increasingly attractive pick.
There’s also attacking upside. Muharemovic is a threat from set pieces and missed a significant chance to score against Sunderland. He and teammate Jayden Bogle (£4.7m) have each taken seven shots inside the penalty area, among the highest totals for defenders. Bogle added two shots in an energetic display.
Leeds’ attacking options remain uncertain
Calvert-Lewin (£6.1m) was the only one of Leeds’ three injury doubts to start, but he didn’t manage a shot. Noah Okafor (£5.8m) and Anton Stach (£6.0m) came on from the bench; Stach made a late appearance.
Manager Daniel Farke said the conditions and disrupted training had made fluent football difficult. He was satisfied with his team’s resilience and ability to compete for second balls and grind out a result.
“On a warm, sunny Saturday or Sunday afternoon after a good training week, anyone can play proper football, but these games belong also to the Premier League.
“It was one of those days where you have to accept that you can’t shine that much football-wise, it’s more or less to dig in and grind out a result and fight for second balls and show steel. And this this what we what we did today.” – Daniel Farke
Farke also confirmed that Nico Elvedi (£4.5m) missed the match because of illness.
Brobbey returns as Sunderland search for goals
Sunderland remain bottom of the table, but manager Regis Le Bris saw positives in the performance. His side edged Leeds on shots, 15 to 11, and expected goals, 0.83 to 0.76. Sunderland created opportunities but couldn’t turn them into a win.
“Today we saw a good Sunderland team, with fighting spirit, with togetherness, with intensity. I think we created chances as well, and it’s a question of small details. In the end, if you can’t win, don’t lose it.”
Regis Le Bris
Brobbey (£5.7m), back after missing two Gameweeks, led Sunderland’s attack. He had the side’s best opportunity after a defensive error, but Trafford blocked his close-range effort with an outstretched leg. The Leeds keeper also turned another Brobbey shot wide.
Brobbey’s 0.23 expected goals topped Nilson Angulo’s 0.16, though Angulo was more active, sharing the match-high with three shots. One curling effort forced Trafford into another difficult save. Sunderland defender Luke O’Nien (£3.9m) also took three shots and recorded 17 defensive contributions.
Brobbey is clearly central to Le Bris’ attack, but Sunderland are still easing him back towards full fitness.
Roefs offers potential, with fixtures to weigh
Robin Roefs (£4.9m) earned nine points after making three saves, including one on a big chance, and claiming his second clean sheet of the season. Two bonus points lifted his score further.
Sunderland’s defensive resolve could make Roefs worth monitoring, but the evidence is still limited. The team’s position at the bottom of the table and a difficult run of fixtures after the Coventry City match make it hard to judge his longer-term prospects.
Nordi Mukiele (£5.4m) also saw his clean-sheet chance end early: a blow to the throat led to his removal in the 52nd minute. The substitution was described after the match as precautionary, and he was reported to be fine.
Le Bris weighs his wide options
Sunderland’s attack lacked creativity, even allowing for the difficult conditions. Enzo Le Fée (£5.7m) created four chances and took two shots, including a free kick he badly missed. Granit Xhaka (£5.4m) had a quiet game, prompting supporters to call for Chemsdine Talbi (£5.2m), who has seen little action this season.
Talbi was left out of Sunderland’s Europa League squad when a move to Saudi Arabia appeared likely. Some supporters want Le Bris to give him a chance ahead of more defensively minded options Trai Hume (£4.2m) and Thomas Meunier (£4.5m), who missed the Leeds match through injury.
Le Bris said Talbi would get opportunities, while explaining that he had started the match with Nilson Angulo and Malick Fofana on the wings. He also pointed to Angulo’s improvement over the previous few weeks and said the club would support its wide players.
“It would have been good for him to get minutes in this competition [Europa League]. After that, we started with two wingers; we started with Nilson [Angulo] and Malick [Fofana], and we trust them, even though sometimes they are struggling
.“I am sure Chemsdine [Talbi] will get his opportunities as well. It was a strong choice to give him the opportunity [against Leeds] in a tight game, really intense.
“We know we have good wingers – I think you saw a good version of Nilson Angulo and, maybe three or four weeks ago, that wasn’t maybe the case. It is a question of support – for Chems and Malick, that is going to be the case.” – Regis Le Bris
For now, Leeds’ defensive assets supplied the clearest FPL signal from a low-quality draw. Sunderland’s attacking roles remain less settled, while Roefs’ returns need to be weighed against the team’s form and upcoming schedule.