Watford boss Tom Cleverley delivers 'punishing' Leeds United verdict ahead of vital Sunderland clash

Watford boss Tom Cleverley has claimed that Leeds United are “one of the best teams” he has ever seen in the Championship ahead of the Whites’ clash with Sunderland on Monday evening.

The Hornets were soundly beaten by Daniel Farke’s men on Tuesday, with the league leaders putting four past their hosts without reply. That result extended Leeds’ lead at the top of the table to five points and their lead over fourth-placed Sunderland to 10 - albeit having played a game more than Regis Le Bris’ men - with the Black Cats set to travel to Elland Road early next week.

And heading into that contest, Cleverley’s assessment of Leeds makes for foreboding reading on Wearside.

What did Cleverley say about Leeds United?

Speaking after the final whistle, the Watford manager said: “They punished us heavily and that comes with pace and quality. They smelled blood and really went for the kill. I’m not saying this to protect myself – honestly Leeds are one of the best teams I have seen at this level.

“This should give us the inspiration to get to the level we want to get to. As a player that level would inspire me to do more in my life to try to reach it. They are a very expensive squad so it’s a little unfair for me to compare my players against them but we could have done better in certain aspects. We have to get better and the only way we can do that is by sticking together.”

What did Daniel Farke say after Watford victory?

Unsurprisingly, Leeds boss Farke was delighted with his side’s display at Vicarage Road. He said: “We were excellent on the counter-attack and the way we scored the goals. I’m pretty happy with the scoreline and the clean sheet. The fourth goal was poetry in motion I would say. The individual performance of the players up front was of the top level. All the topics that were important for this game we have delivered. The way we scored the goals was fantastic.”

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What did Cleverley say about Sunderland?

By contrast, Sunderland were unable to beat Watford when the two sides met last weekend, with the Black Cats having to settle for a draw courtesy of a late Dennis Cirkin equaliser. Offering his thoughts in the aftermath of that contest, Cleverley was of the opinion that his side largely got the better of their hosts at the Stadium of Light.

He said: “I thought for 60, 65 minutes we were excellent. We took control of possession and though we didn't create too many chances with it, we had a real sense of control and frustrated the home support.

“On the balance of the game we deserved to lead and I'm disappointed we didn't manage the game better at the end. We're better than that. We were nowhere near good enough for the last ten minutes. We've conceded from two corner kicks, we can improve as a team. I don't want to get caught up with the negatives because there were a lot of positives.”

Your next Sunderland read: Régis Le Bris explains Eliezer Mayenda selection stance and why Sunderland's home displays have dipped