The 2017/18 Championship season is now well underway with another full set of fixtures to come this weekend. Simon Grayson will face his former club Leeds United on Saturday as the Whites travel to The Stadium of Light to face Grayson’s new side, Sunderland. It will certainly be an exciting game as both sides have had a mediocre start to the season.
Leeds had the opportunity to build on their superb start which saw them win 3-2 away at Bolton Wanderers by picking up another two wins in their back-to-back home games that followed. However, it did not turn out that way as both Preston North End and Fulham held them to a goalless draw.
As for Sunderland, they have adapted to life in The Championship a lot better than most people expected. They have so far picked up five points from their three games which were arguably tough fixtures against the likes of Derby County, Norwich City and Sheffield Wednesday. They will certainly be looking to build on this good start against Leeds this weekend.
We take a look at five players who could potentially have an impact on this fascinating encounter.
4. Samu Saiz
The 26-year-old arrived at Elland Road earlier this summer and is one of the most exciting transfer deals that Christiansen has managed to get over the line. He was very successful at Huesca in Spain’s second tier last season and has already shown that he can bring a lot of quality to Leeds.
It has taken him a while to get up to speed with the demands of The Championship, but he is now fit enough to make an impact from the start. He showed what he is capable of by scoring a hat-trick in Leeds’ 4-1 Carabao Cup victory over Port Vale last week and will now be looking to bring that form into the league. He is certainly a player who could have an impact in this game if he produces a similar type of performance.
