Phil Smith has offered his verdict on Sunderland’s promotion chances after the 2-2 draw against Leeds United.
Sunderland preserved their spot at the top of the Championship after clinching a last-gasp point against Leeds at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats wouldn’t have believed their luck when Illan Meslier’s incredible blunder saw Alan Browne score his first goal of the season following strikes from Chris Rigg, Joel Piroe and Junior Firpo.
It was an exciting and pulsating encounter that saw Rigg surpass Jude Bellingham’s goal-per-game record at Birmingham City, with the 17-year-old starring alongside Dennis Cirkin.
Whilst Sunderland were happy to secure a point in bizarre circumstances, Regis Le Bris admitted he made a mistake with his system after starting with a 5-4-1 formation.
However, their persistence to secure a point in the final minute was the mark of promotion contenders, and that is a position not many expected Le Bris’ men to be in at the start.
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Phil Smith on Sunderland’s promotion chances after Leeds United draw
Sunderland fans will acknowledge that this is only a solid beginning to their campaign and consistency will carry them through.
The Black Cats showed enough quality in Friday night’s draw to suggest they could be in and around the conversation for the league’s top two in the coming months.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  SunderlandSunderland | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 19 |
| 2 |  BurnleyBurnley | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 17 |
| 3 |  LeedsLeeds | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 16 |
| 4 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
That isn’t a verdict shared by respected journalist Phil Smith, who believes teams are starting to figure out how to break Sunderland down defensively and he also thinks there’s a lack of depth in the squad currently.
Giving his thoughts on their top two chances, Smith said on the On The Whistle YouTube channel: “I think Sunderland have played really well, I don’t think they’ve been strong defensively as they have been in the first block of games at the start of the season.
“I think teams have worked out a bit how to create chances against them and that makes me think that it’s maybe a little bit early to suggest Sunderland are genuine top-two contenders. Also because of what I’ve said there about the depth of the squad, I’m not sure it’s 100% there yet to be a top-two contender.”
Dan Ballard and Eliezer Mayenda returning will be a huge boost to Sunderland
Le Bris was criticised for leaving his substitutions till late against Leeds but given the current absences from his squad, he can be forgiven.
New signing Aaron Connolly was named on the bench but won’t be up to speed till after the internationals while Le Bris confirmed that Dan Ballard and Eliezer Mayenda could return after the break.
Ballard is a key figure and a leader in the Sunderland defence, who can either start or help the Black Cats close out a game, whereas Mayenda is an excellent attacking option.
Supporters will hope the 19-year-old striker can return in a rich vein of form after starting with two goals and two assists in six games.
The imminent return of those two players, in particular, can be the catalyst for Sunderland to continue challenging at the top of the table.