Leeds kept their place at the summit of the Championship after edging past Ipswich at Elland Road.
Thomas Christiansen’s side took the lead through Pierre-Michel Lasogga before David McGoldrick equalised for the Tractor Boys.
The hosts restored their lead thanks to Kalvin Phillips’s strike and an own-goal from Bartosz Bialkowski.
Joe Garner pulled one back for the visitors with 20 minutes remaining but it proved to be a consolation effort for Mick McCarthy’s team.
Sunderland dropped into the relegation zone after suffering defeat at the hands of Cardiff at The Stadium of Light.