HABIB DIARRA’S SECOND-HALF penalty snatched Sunderland a 1-0 win at Elland Road and dealt Leeds’ Premier League survival fight a blow.
The Senegal midfielder converted from the spot in the 70th minute as the Black Cats clinched their first win in five league matches and their third on the road this season.
Leeds missed the chance to put clear daylight between themselves and the bottom three on another frustrating night for their fans, slipping to back-to-back home league defeats after Saturday’s loss to Manchester City.
Daniel Farke’s side remain six points above the bottom three, with relegation rivals West Ham and Nottingham Forest both in action on Wednesday, while Sunderland leapfrogged Brighton into 11th place.
Leeds controlled the opening exchanges without troubling Sunderland’s debutant goalkeeper Melker Ellborg due his team-mates’ committed, deep defending.
Ellborg, signed from Malmo for £3million last month, incurred the wrath of the home faithful in the 19th minute when he went down off the ball to receive treatment, allowing Sunderland’s players to gather in front of the dug-out for an impromptu team-talk with boss Regis Le Bris.
Leeds continued to probe, but after 30 minutes neither side had had an effort on target.
Anton Stach’s dipping free-kick three minutes later forced the first save of the match, with Ellborg at full stretch to turn the ball away for a corner.
Dark arts were at play again before half-time when Leeds substitute Sean Longstaff, warming up on the touchline, was spoken to by referee Stuart Attwell after pinching the ball-boy’s towel before Sunderland skipper Luke O’Nien took a long throw.
After another Stach free-kick struck Sunderland’s wall, a forgettable first period came to a close.
The second half began in similar fashion. Sunderland forward Eliezer Mayenda went down in his own box after colliding with Ellborg, while play was halted by a succession of fouls.
Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka made his 250th Premier League appearance as a 56th-minute replacement for Lutsharel Geertruida before two crucial VAR decisions.
Joe Rodon headed home Stach’s free-kick in the 64th minute, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside, and six minutes later Leeds skipper Ethan Ampadu was deemed to have handled after Attwell had been asked to check the pitchside monitor.
Advertisement
Diarra converted, but only after Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow appeared to have saved the spot kick, with the ball rebounding over the line off his hip.
Ellborg kept out Jayden Bogle’s shot and after Leeds sent on Willy Gnonto and Daniel James, the home side laid siege on the Sunderland penalty area in a bid to salvage a point.
Jaka Bijol’s deflected effort shaved a post and fellow substitute Joel Piroe’s shot was blocked by Omar Alderete, but Leeds rarely looked like rescuing a point as Sunderland sealed their first win at Elland Road in nearly 20 years.
Everton 2-0 Burnley
Everton's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall celebrates scoring his side's second goal. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Everton won at home for the first time in three months to keep themselves in the hunt for European football with a 2-0 victory over struggling Burnley.
The win over the Clarets by no means guarantees their travails at Hill Dickinson Stadium are over with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City still to visit but it avoided the unpalatable prospect of failing to profit against the Premier League’s second-bottom side.
James Tarkowski’s first goal – via a routine header – since February 2025 did not come close to matching the one he lashed home in added time for Everton’s final Merseyside derby goal at Goodison Park but it eased the tension.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s sixth of the season, a cool clipped finish past Martin Dubravka on the hour, made him the team’s joint top scorer in the league and essentially ended Burnley’s chances of a comeback.
The patience of the visiting fans, who have seen their team win just once since October, cracked in the final 20 minutes with chants of “You don’t know what you’re doing” aimed at boss Scott Parker after he replaced Hannibal Mejbri with Josh Laurent.
Burnley remain eight points from safety with a return to the Championship looming but Everton still harbour hopes of sneaking into Europe next season as they moved to within three points of sixth-placed Chelsea.
Bournemouth 0-0 Brentford
Brentford's Nathan Collins (L) tracks down Tyler Adams of Bournemouth. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Bournemouth’s wait for a first Premier League win over Brentford goes on after two European hopefuls shared a goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium.
Marcus Tavernier hit a post twice as the Cherries dominated the game but clocked up their fourth stalemate in five matches.
Brentford welcomed back goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher after he missed Saturday’s chaotic 4-3 win at Burnley after becoming a father, while Ireland teammate and first-team captain Nathan Collins was also back in Keith Andrews’ starting lineup following a recent spell out of the side. Bournemouth striker Evanilson recovered from injury to start for the hosts.
The visitors had won seven of their last eight away games, including each of their last four.
Chances were in short supply in the early exchanges, although Evanilson gave the Brentford defence a scare in the 22nd minute when he raced in behind only to be forced wide by Bees captain Nathan Collins and failing to get a shot away.
Moments later Tavernier unleashed a curling effort from the left corner of the penalty area which flashed past Kelleher’s far post.
Alex Scott put a 20-yard effort over Kelleher’s crossbar 13 minutes before half-time as the Cherries looked more likely to break the deadlock.
Bournemouth defender James Hill should have done better with a 34th-minute header over the crossbar from Rayan’s pinpoint cross.
Ryan Christie also let Brentford off the hook after being played in on goal by Evanilson’s clever pass, but he dragged the ball wide in trying to round the onrushing Kelleher.
Kelleher was called into action for the first time in first-half stoppage time, keeping our Tavernier’s shot from a tight angle with his legs after a defence-splitting pass from Alex Scott.
Tavernier should have put Bournemouth in front early in the second half after a superb through ball by Alex Jimenez but he stumbled as he took the shot, which clipped the base of a post.
Jimenez then blasted an effort over the crossbar as the Cherries continued to pressure the Brentford backline.
Brentford had another narrow escape in the 59th minute when Christie’s miscued shot hit Tavernier and bounced harmlessly wide.
The Bees finally had their first shot on target 18 minutes from time as Dango Outtara put a half-volley straight into the arms of Dorde Petrovic.
Sepp van den Berg then saw his header from close range from Mathias Jensen’s free-kick pushed away by Petrovic as the visitors suddenly sparked into life after a lacklustre opening 70 minutes.
Tavernier was denied by the frame of the goal again in the 77th minute when he crashed a shot against the outside of Kelleher’s post from the corner of the six-yard box.
Evanilson had a goal correctly ruled out for offside after some brilliant footwork and substitute Junior Kroupi dragged a late shot wide on a night of frustration for the south coast outfit.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
6 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Leeds pay penalty against Sunderland, Everton earn rare home win, and stalemate for Brentford
Leeds 0-1 Sunderland
HABIB DIARRA’S SECOND-HALF penalty snatched Sunderland a 1-0 win at Elland Road and dealt Leeds’ Premier League survival fight a blow.
The Senegal midfielder converted from the spot in the 70th minute as the Black Cats clinched their first win in five league matches and their third on the road this season.
Leeds missed the chance to put clear daylight between themselves and the bottom three on another frustrating night for their fans, slipping to back-to-back home league defeats after Saturday’s loss to Manchester City.
Daniel Farke’s side remain six points above the bottom three, with relegation rivals West Ham and Nottingham Forest both in action on Wednesday, while Sunderland leapfrogged Brighton into 11th place.
Leeds controlled the opening exchanges without troubling Sunderland’s debutant goalkeeper Melker Ellborg due his team-mates’ committed, deep defending.
Ellborg, signed from Malmo for £3million last month, incurred the wrath of the home faithful in the 19th minute when he went down off the ball to receive treatment, allowing Sunderland’s players to gather in front of the dug-out for an impromptu team-talk with boss Regis Le Bris.
Leeds continued to probe, but after 30 minutes neither side had had an effort on target.
Anton Stach’s dipping free-kick three minutes later forced the first save of the match, with Ellborg at full stretch to turn the ball away for a corner.
Dark arts were at play again before half-time when Leeds substitute Sean Longstaff, warming up on the touchline, was spoken to by referee Stuart Attwell after pinching the ball-boy’s towel before Sunderland skipper Luke O’Nien took a long throw.
After another Stach free-kick struck Sunderland’s wall, a forgettable first period came to a close.
The second half began in similar fashion. Sunderland forward Eliezer Mayenda went down in his own box after colliding with Ellborg, while play was halted by a succession of fouls.
Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka made his 250th Premier League appearance as a 56th-minute replacement for Lutsharel Geertruida before two crucial VAR decisions.
Joe Rodon headed home Stach’s free-kick in the 64th minute, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside, and six minutes later Leeds skipper Ethan Ampadu was deemed to have handled after Attwell had been asked to check the pitchside monitor.
Diarra converted, but only after Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow appeared to have saved the spot kick, with the ball rebounding over the line off his hip.
Ellborg kept out Jayden Bogle’s shot and after Leeds sent on Willy Gnonto and Daniel James, the home side laid siege on the Sunderland penalty area in a bid to salvage a point.
Jaka Bijol’s deflected effort shaved a post and fellow substitute Joel Piroe’s shot was blocked by Omar Alderete, but Leeds rarely looked like rescuing a point as Sunderland sealed their first win at Elland Road in nearly 20 years.
Everton 2-0 Burnley
Everton won at home for the first time in three months to keep themselves in the hunt for European football with a 2-0 victory over struggling Burnley.
The win over the Clarets by no means guarantees their travails at Hill Dickinson Stadium are over with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City still to visit but it avoided the unpalatable prospect of failing to profit against the Premier League’s second-bottom side.
James Tarkowski’s first goal – via a routine header – since February 2025 did not come close to matching the one he lashed home in added time for Everton’s final Merseyside derby goal at Goodison Park but it eased the tension.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s sixth of the season, a cool clipped finish past Martin Dubravka on the hour, made him the team’s joint top scorer in the league and essentially ended Burnley’s chances of a comeback.
The patience of the visiting fans, who have seen their team win just once since October, cracked in the final 20 minutes with chants of “You don’t know what you’re doing” aimed at boss Scott Parker after he replaced Hannibal Mejbri with Josh Laurent.
Burnley remain eight points from safety with a return to the Championship looming but Everton still harbour hopes of sneaking into Europe next season as they moved to within three points of sixth-placed Chelsea.
Bournemouth 0-0 Brentford
Bournemouth’s wait for a first Premier League win over Brentford goes on after two European hopefuls shared a goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium.
Marcus Tavernier hit a post twice as the Cherries dominated the game but clocked up their fourth stalemate in five matches.
Brentford welcomed back goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher after he missed Saturday’s chaotic 4-3 win at Burnley after becoming a father, while Ireland teammate and first-team captain Nathan Collins was also back in Keith Andrews’ starting lineup following a recent spell out of the side. Bournemouth striker Evanilson recovered from injury to start for the hosts.
The visitors had won seven of their last eight away games, including each of their last four.
Chances were in short supply in the early exchanges, although Evanilson gave the Brentford defence a scare in the 22nd minute when he raced in behind only to be forced wide by Bees captain Nathan Collins and failing to get a shot away.
Moments later Tavernier unleashed a curling effort from the left corner of the penalty area which flashed past Kelleher’s far post.
Alex Scott put a 20-yard effort over Kelleher’s crossbar 13 minutes before half-time as the Cherries looked more likely to break the deadlock.
Bournemouth defender James Hill should have done better with a 34th-minute header over the crossbar from Rayan’s pinpoint cross.
Ryan Christie also let Brentford off the hook after being played in on goal by Evanilson’s clever pass, but he dragged the ball wide in trying to round the onrushing Kelleher.
Kelleher was called into action for the first time in first-half stoppage time, keeping our Tavernier’s shot from a tight angle with his legs after a defence-splitting pass from Alex Scott.
Tavernier should have put Bournemouth in front early in the second half after a superb through ball by Alex Jimenez but he stumbled as he took the shot, which clipped the base of a post.
Jimenez then blasted an effort over the crossbar as the Cherries continued to pressure the Brentford backline.
Brentford had another narrow escape in the 59th minute when Christie’s miscued shot hit Tavernier and bounced harmlessly wide.
The Bees finally had their first shot on target 18 minutes from time as Dango Outtara put a half-volley straight into the arms of Dorde Petrovic.
Sepp van den Berg then saw his header from close range from Mathias Jensen’s free-kick pushed away by Petrovic as the visitors suddenly sparked into life after a lacklustre opening 70 minutes.
Tavernier was denied by the frame of the goal again in the 77th minute when he crashed a shot against the outside of Kelleher’s post from the corner of the six-yard box.
Evanilson had a goal correctly ruled out for offside after some brilliant footwork and substitute Junior Kroupi dragged a late shot wide on a night of frustration for the south coast outfit.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Premier League Soccer