While Leeds United were defeated by Southampton at St. Mary’s Stadium in the Championship on Saturday afternoon, one of their former players, Jack Clarke, led Sunderland to a comfortable away win against Sheffield Wednesday on Friday evening.
This season, both Leeds United and Sunderland hope to finish in the top two of the Championship table and gain automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Sunderland are now fourth in the table, with 16 points from nine games.
The Black Cats are six points behind second-placed Ipswich Town.
Leeds are in ninth place with 13 points from nine games.
Leeds were defeated 3-1 by Southampton on Saturday afternoon.
Daniel Farke’s team put up a dismal effort.
Sunderland defeated Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 away from home on Friday evening.
Jack Clarke, a former Leeds United winger, is flourishing at Sunderland.
The Black Cats’ goal scorers included Jack Clarke.
The winger scored his first goal in the eighth minute and then converted a penalty in the 31st.
With seven goals from nine games, the 22-year-old is now joint-top scorer in the Championship.
Clarke has turned into a goal machine for Sunderland.
Having failed to make a huge impact at Tottenham Hotspur, the winger moved to the Stadium of Light on a permanent deal in 2022 after a loan spell with the Black Cats.
Last season, the English youngster scored nine goals and gave 12 assists in the Championship.
It does now look very likely that Clarke will surpass the goal-tally of last season with ease this time around.
Leeds sold Clarke to Tottenham in the summer of 2019 for £8.5 million (Sky Sports).
Clarke was 18 at the time.
He has progressed a lot in recent times and is a much better and more mature player now.
And, he is still only 22.
Clarke has massive potential.
Praise for Jack Clarke
Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has been hugely impressed by the growth he has seen in Clarke.
ChronicleLive quotes Mowbray as saying about Clarke: “He’s an amazing footballer, he’s really positive, really confident at the moment.
“When I think back to being manager of Blackburn Rovers two-and-a-half years ago and Jack Clarke playing for Tottenham U23s and not getting a kick against our young team, something miraculous has happened to Jack and he is now playing with confidence and belief in himself.
“At times he is unplayable, you don’t know whether he is going down the outside or whether he is cutting inside to bend it in like he did for the first goal.”
