Sunderland host Leeds United in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has reflected on his side’s last trip to the Stadium of Light ahead of a Premier League clash against Sunderland on Sunday afternoon.

The Whites were denied all three points in a Championship fixture on Wearside last term after a goalkeeping error from Illan Meslier gifted their hosts a stoppage time equaliser in an entertaining 2-2 draw.

Since then, of course, both clubs have enjoyed promotion back to the top flight, and following Sunderland’s stellar start and Leeds’ recent upturn in form, both look to be making admirable bids for survival.

What has Leeds United boss Daniel Farke said about Sunderland ahead of Premier League clash?

And with Leeds set to return to the North East this weekend, Farke was asked about his last visit to the Stadium of Light in a pre-match press conference on Tuesday, to which he responded: “Of course, also a club with a big history and a big tradition, and it's always great to play against passionate clubs where the atmosphere is also a bit spicy and difficult, because if you then come away with a good performance and hopefully with a good result it means even a bit more. For that it's always good when we have these clubs with big traditions and big fan bases and passionate behaviour all around back in the Premier League, and it's always a tough place to go - we know this.

“A bit of an unlucky ending of the last game. We had a really good away game there, and were then very unlucky not to win the last time. Yes, a draw on the road is always a good point - it would be also under these circumstances - but we never play just in order to draw a game. So initially we go into each and every game because we want to be successful, and if in the end you can't win a game - wherever we go or against whoever we play - then we want to make sure that we don't lose it.

“For example, like in our second last home game against Liverpool, a draw can be sometimes priceless, but right now we go into this game in order to try to be there with our best possible performance, and then also to win as many points as possible.”

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For his part, Meslier - who found himself at the centre of the drama last October - has been left out of Farke’s plans this season, and is yet to record a single minute of first team action.

But even with the added complication of his contract expiring next summer, Farke insists that he has no immediate intention of letting the Frenchman leave Elland Road in January.

He said: “All the players in the squad are part of my plans and all the attention of myself is to each and every player - even if a player is at the moment not that much involved, or just on the bench, or sometimes also not in the squad.

“In this case with Illan, I've made my feelings clear about him. I rate him that much. I think he's a goalkeeper full of potential, unbelievably young for a goalkeeper. Especially at this young age to have so many games at Championship and at Premier League level is very remarkable, and it's also, with Illan, a joy to work with him each and every day. At the moment, we have needed all our goalkeepers so far - in the matchday squad we had injuries, we had illnesses, and for that it's not the plan to do anything.

“Of course, it can change in January if someone wants to leave due to a situation, but from my side there is no proactive wish to change anything in our goalkeeping squad - not at all. I'm happy to have them all, and that we have really good options and we are then there with many good goalkeepers in our squad.”

Your next Sunderland read: Leeds United boss Daniel Farke 'not surprised' by 'remarkable' Sunderland