Phil Smith's Sunderland verdict: Key factors behind 3-game losing streak and whether fans should be concerned

The reaction of the away end told you everything you needed to know.

This was another night of frustration for Sunderland - more missed chances, another soft set-piece goal conceded and yes, more contentious refereeing. The undeniable headline was a third Championship defeat in as many games.

Yet most of the noise towards the end of this game came from the 3,250 in the corner, and at full time all stayed to applaud the players.

There was no doubting the application here and for the most part, there wasn’t much you could criticise about the quality of the performance. 

There is frustration at a poor run of results but here that had to be set against the obvious truth that much of this display was broadly in line with what Sunderland is supposed to be. Leicester City are the runaway leaders of the Championship and a Premier League operation in everything but name. They boasted a bench stacked with top-tier experience and quality, with the borderline comical scene of £20 million + striker Patson Daka introduced with just minutes to play, somehow currently the third-choice striker for Enzo Maresca.

Maresca, formerly assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, has been able to quickly implement the style of play that has underpinned City’s dominance and most teams have been unable to cope.

It seems a little jarring to be talking about Sunderland at his level in underdog terms, and yet in this case that is just the reality of the financial gulf between the two sides. Sobering, but true. 

Tony Mowbray had insisted all the same that his side had genuine belief that they could come here, impose their style and win. After all, they had drawn at Fulham last year and taken positive results at Fulham, West Brom, Burnley and Norwich City - all with significant budgetary advantages at the time.

Mowbray was true to his work, implementing a game plan that Maresca said was the bravest and most aggressive of any team to face his Foxes side so far this season. The Black Cats pressed as high up the pitch as they possibly could, and trusted their defenders to go 1-v-1 with the Leicester forwards.

It was a calculated gamble and one that made not just for a hugely entertaining contest, but a very competitive one.

Mowbray was the first to say afterwards that Leicester could and probably should have scored more. The nature of the game meant there was space and therefore always chances for the hosts, and Sunderland were indebted to Anthony Patterson for some exceptional goalkeeping and the woodwork for being right where they needed it to be. 

There were spells where the pace and precision of Leicester’s attacking looked to be at a different level but this was the thing, only in spells.

Sunderland created the biggest chance of the opening exchanges and right up until the very last minute, were able to break regularly into the final third. Abdoullah Ba had the best chance of them all inside the last ten minutes, blazing over the bar after good work from Clarke and Pritchard had taken the goalkeeper and most of the home defence out of the equation.

So there was good cause for Mowbray’s optimism afterwards, the head coach telling his dressing room that the results will take care of themselves if the performances continue at this standard. 

There is quite clearly no need for panic even accounting for what is now a relatively poor run. This was Sunderland’s toughest assignment of the campaign, and the first defeat of this losing run was heavily influenced by a hugely controversial first-half red card. 

There are some grounds for concern, all the same. This was the second game in a row in which Sunderland were undone by the simplest of corner routines, a free header in the box settling a tight game. This is the pay off for fielding such a vibrant, technically-gifted side. The opposition are regularly enjoying a height advantage inside Sunderland’s own box and in truth, that is unlikely to change anytime soon. Dennis Cirkin will add some presence (and his successful return was arguably the biggest positive of the night), and Aji Alese most certainly will when fit, but this is an achilles heel not easily solved. 

At the other end, Mowbray continues to wrestle with the Sunderland paradox. A team that is in glaring need of a settled number nine, and yet which broadly has continued to find a way to score. A team that often looks most threatening when playing without a striker in an ultra-fluid system, which in turn leaves you wondering what they could plunder if they could integrate one more successfully.

The final half hour of this game summed up the dilemma. Mowbray was criticised by many for chasing the game without a centre-forward, and that is understandable. At one stage, Cirkin flashed a quite superb low cross into the six-yard box and yet no one was there to meet it. And yet, never were Sunderland more dangerous or cut through Leicester City more regularly than they did in this period of the game.

Mason Burstow brings a huge amount to the team out of possession, and was crucial to the successful pressing of Leicester’s defence. None of Mowbray’s other striking options can currently match that discipline and athleticism, and yet the Chelsea loanee is struggling to carve out shooting opportunities in the box.

This was, as had been the case at Stoke City, a wasteful performance that allowed those physical frailties to be exposed at the other end.

Many Leicester observers stated with no doubt that Sunderland were the best opponent yet this season, and the endeavour of this display left no one in any doubt that this losing run will end very soon.

Sunderland are too vibrant, too dangerous and just too good at this level for their form not to turn. Yet these years have not happened for no reason, with obvious flaws to be worked on in both boxes to restart this play-off push.