BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Sunday’s match (14:00 GMT), which will be the first Premier League game between these sides for 23 years.

Defensive strength key for Sunderland

Sunderland’s superb start to the season means they will be sixth on Christmas Day, and while losing six players to the Africa Cup of Nations will test their squad depth, last weekend’s 0-0 draw at Brighton offered plenty of encouragement that those absences will not prove too costly.

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The Black Cats registered six shots on target against the Seagulls, their highest total in a Premier League match without scoring since April 2016.

Even more reassuring was another display of defensive resilience. Regis le Bris’s side recorded their sixth clean sheet of the campaign, already matching their final figure from their most recent top-flight season in 2016–17.

The Wearsiders have also conceded just 17 Premier League goals so far, a record bettered by only Arsenal and Manchester City.

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That is more than five fewer than would normally be the case based on their expected goals against figure of 22.45. It remains to be seen whether that level of over-performance is sustainable, but it may not matter.

Sunderland’s haul of 27 points would have been enough to guarantee survival last season and, while the threshold could be slightly higher this term, just four more wins should secure safety.

The image displays a statistical table from the Premier League season, highlighting the teams with the fewest goals conceded and comparing their actual goals conceded against their expected goals against (xGA). Arsenal have the fewest goals conceded (10) and the lowest expected goals against (9.89). Sunderland are tied with Chelsea for the third-fewest goals conceded (17). The data source is Opta, and the graphic is from the BBC. Expected goals against (xGA) is a metric that quantifies the quality of scoring chances created by opponents.

[BBC]

Calvert-Lewin key for improving Leeds

The last time Leeds faced Sunderland in the top flight was in a 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light on Boxing Day 2002, when James Milner scored his first senior goal for the visitors, aged just 16 years and 356 days.

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Although eclipsed by James Vaughan’s strike for Everton in 2005, Milner remains the second-youngest goalscorer in Premier League history.

The Whites finished 24 points ahead of play-off winners Sunderland in last season’s Championship, but have found the step up more challenging than the Wearsiders.

However, Daniel Farke’s side are moving in the right direction, collecting eight points from a possible 12 since the start of December to move six clear of the relegation zone. That is thanks in no small part to the form of summer signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

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Calvert-Lewin managed just one goal in his first 10 Premier League appearances for the club, but has scored six times in his subsequent five games. The 28-year-old will be in contention for an England recall if he maintains that consistency, according to Farke.

Should the striker extend his scoring streak this weekend, he would become the first Leeds player to net in six consecutive top-flight matches since John McCole in the 1959–60 season.

The image displays a statistical comparison of Dominic Calvert-Lewin's performance for Leeds in the Premier League this season, contrasting his first 10 games with his past five games. The data shows a significant improvement in his recent form. Goals increased from one in the first 10 games to six in the subsequent five games. Expected goals more than doubled from 2.17 to 4.27. Shot conversion rate dramatically improved from 5.3% to 42.9%. Minutes required per goal dropped significantly from 634 to just 66

[BBC]