Sunderland v Leicester City: The last six Stadium of Light meetings remembered

Sunderland take on Leicester looking to make it three wins in four games as David Moyes' men battle to climb out of the Premier League relegation zone.
Jack Rodwell misses a glorious chance for Sunderland in last season's home clash with Leicester. It was 1-0 at the time, before Leicester ran out 2-0 victors. Picture by Frank ReidJack Rodwell misses a glorious chance for Sunderland in last season's home clash with Leicester. It was 1-0 at the time, before Leicester ran out 2-0 victors. Picture by Frank Reid
Jack Rodwell misses a glorious chance for Sunderland in last season's home clash with Leicester. It was 1-0 at the time, before Leicester ran out 2-0 victors. Picture by Frank Reid

The Black Cats lost 2-0 at home to the Foxes late last season, as Leicester marched towards their sensational title success.

But things have been tougher in the Premier League for Claudio Ranieri’s side this season, and they are still to record an away victory in their title defence.

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In the Premier League, the sides have met six times on Wearside, with two Sunderland wins, three goalless draws and last season’s sole away victory.

Here we look back at the last six meetings at the Stadium of Light, including two games in the Championship.

Sunderland 0 Leicester City 2

April 10, 2016

Sunderland blew the chance to close the gap on relegation rivals Norwich as Leicester took another step closer to their fairytale Premier League title triumph.

Jamie Vardy’s first goals in seven games were enough to secure victory for the Foxes, but it was another of those familiar ‘what might have been’ games for Sunderland.

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Substitute Jack Rodwell squandered a golden late chance to earn a share of the spoils and kept Sam Allardyce’s men four points adrift of the Canaries.

A point apiece would not have been an unjust outcome, with little between the teams in a game predictably full of endeavour and industry, due to their respective need for victory.

Sunderland defended well until the 64th minute when the Black Cats were undone by a simple hoof over the top by Danny Drinkwater.

Vardy outpaced Younes Kaboul as he raced onto it, before calmly placing the ball into the far corner from the left of goal.

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Sunderland should have drawn level in the 82nd minute after a howler of a miss from Rodwell.

Patrick van Aanholt deflected a shot to the unmarked Rodwell, eight yards out, who just had to lift the ball beyond Schmeichel into the far corner, but he sent his shot a foot over the bar.

Vito Mannone made two great saves to keep the score at 1-0, but, in the fifth minute of added-on time, Vardy sealed Leicester’s win, breaking beyond Patrick van Aanholt to leave himself with just Mannone to beat, before taking it around the keeper and tapping it into the empty net.

Sunderland 0 Leicester City 0

May 16, 2015

Sunderland entered the final week of the season still unsure of their Premier League status after a frustrating stalemate against Leicester.

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Defeats elsewhere for relegation rivals Hull and Newcastle extended the gap with the bottom three to three points, yet with Sunderland boasting an inferior goal difference, the Black Cats still need a point from the trips to Arsenal and Chelsea to be mathematically certain of survival.

Sunderland couldn’t find a way through against the resilient Foxes, whose point ensured their place in the top flight for the 2015-16 season.

Seb Larsson went close from a free-kick in the first half, while Danny Graham enjoyed the best spell of the game when he saw his volley saved by Kasper Schmeichel.

But despite huffing and puffing for the goal which would have rubber-stamped their survival in the second half, Sunderland couldn’t find the breakthrough and were forced to settle for an eighth goalless draw of the campaign.

Sunderland 1 Leicester City 1

September 16, 2006

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The first home game of Roy Keane’s Sunderland reign ended with a point apiece.

Fresh from good wins at Derby and Leeds in the Irishman’s first two matches in charge, the Stadium of Light crowded was more than 10,000 up on the previous home game.

But Leicester threatened to spoil the party, making the most of a mistake by Liam Miller to go ahead in the 48th minute, with Matty Fryatt coolly beating keeper Ben Alnwick.

Swede Toby Hysen came off the bench to rescue a point for the Red and Whites, beating keeper Paul Henderson with a shot which was helped by a deflection off defender Darren Kenton.

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Dwight Yorke was given his debut, coming on as an early sub for injured striker Daryl Murphy.

Sunderland 2 Leicester City 1

April 23, 2005

Mick McCarthy’s Sunderland side clinched promotion to the Premiership with a hard-earned victory over Leicester.

Yet Leicester threatened to make Sunderland wait, after going ahead with a goal from left-back Alan Maybury in just the fifth minute.

Maybury was fed by Danny Tiatto and held off Stephen Wright’s challenge to beat debutant keeper Ben Alnwick.

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Sunderland, though, equalised midway through the first half when Wright and Chris Brown combined to set up Marcus Stewart to drive an effort beyond keeper Ian Walker.

The winner came on the hour mark as Steve Caldwell rose to head home a Liam Lawrence corner.

Promotion was guaranteed as rivals Ipswich were held to a draw by Leeds.

Sunderland 2 Leicester City 1

April 1, 2002

American international midfielder Claudio Reyna earned three crucial points in the battle for survival, scoring a brilliant double to send Leicester closer to the drop.

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Reyna needed just three minutes to make the breakthrough, slamming home a left-foot strike from 20 yards into the top corner of Ian Walker’s net.

Leicester, though, were level five minutes later as Matt Elliott powered in a header from Stefan Oakes’ free-kick. Thomas Sorensen tipped the ball onto the post and the it may have crossed the line before Paul Dickov made sure.

The final goal came as early as the 17th minute, when Reyna fired a classy free-kick into the top corner from the edge of the box, after Kevin Phillips was felled by Muzzy Izzet.

Reyna also volleyed against the post, while Jason McAteer and Phillips had fine efforts well saved by Walker, before Sunderland required Sorensen to make a magnificent stop to deny Dickov an equaliser in the 75th minute.

Sunderland 0 Leicester City 0

October 1, 2000

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Sunderland were shut out by Leicester’s hard-working defence, despite dominating possession at the Stadium of Light.

Matt Elliott led by example at the heart of the Foxes’ back four as they maintained their impressive defensive record - just two goals conceded in their first eight Premiership matches.

Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn scrapped hard to try to force a breakthrough, but Leicester, knocked out of the Uefa Cup by Crvena Zvezda in midweek, showed their resilience to extend their unbeaten league start.

Phillips headed a Michael Gray cross wide with Sunderland’s clearest chance, though Leicester needed a classy save from Tim Flowers to keep out a Quinn header midway through the second half.