EPL Preview: Sunderland vs. Blackpool
The mid-week fixture between the two teams at the Stadium of Light will be their first meeting in the Premier League since January 1967.
Blackpool will be looking to get back into action in the League, having missed three previous fixtures due to terrible weather conditions and the absence of under soil heating at Bloomfield Road has seen the Seasiders play only sixteen games so far this
season compared to Sunderland’s nineteen.
Ian Holloway’s team will not be intimidated by Sunderland’s fantastic home record, as the Seasiders themselves have a notable away record. Blackpool have won four away games this season, making them the third team in the League behind Arsenal and Manchester
City to have acquired the most wins away from home. Sunderland have yet to succumb to defeat at the Stadium of Light this season and will be looking to move on from their game against Manchester United and improve upon their current seventh position in the
League table.
Sunderland have managed twenty-seven points so far this season from their nineteen matches. On the other hand, Blackpool have acquired twenty-two points from their sixteen games, which places them on eleventh spot in the table. Both teams have won six games
so far this campaign and Sunderland have drawn five more than Blackpool’s nine. Ian Holloway’s side have lost six matches so far, compared to Sunderland’s four, but the Seasiders have scored more goals this season than their mid-week rivals. Blackpool have
found the back of the net twenty-four times this season and Sunderland have managed twenty-one goals in total. The Black Cats have conceded one less goal than they have scored in the League and Blackpool have conceded five more than they have scored.
The last time these two clubs met was in the Third Division in March 1988 at Sunderland’s home ground. The fixture ended in a 2-2- draw. Ian Holloway’s men will be looking to improve upon their record against the Black Cats as they have been unable to secure
a victory in their previous ten visits to their mid-week rivals. They last won in February 1958 when they beat Sunderland 4-1. Since then, the Seasiders have lost eight games and drawn two when playing against the Black Cats. The Sunderland manager, Steve
Bruce will be proud of his team’s record, as they have secured victory at the Stadium of Light in their previous eight League fixtures against promoted teams.
Sunderland stand unbeaten this season on home turf and have lost only a single match on Wearside in their last nineteen games. Their defensive record is admirable as they have managed nine clean sheets out of the total nineteen games this season. Black Cats
fans will be looking to see Kieran Richards make his 150th start for the Wearside team in this match, if Bruce decides to field the player against Blackpool.
Ian Holloway’s men have reason to be confident ahead of the game as they have been undefeated in their previous three Premier League matches and managed two clean sheets from those three games.
Bruce’s men must be wary of the Blackpool attackers outside the penalty area as they have scored six goals from that area this season, which is the most any team in the League has managed to score this season.
The last time the Seasiders lost in their most recent seven matches was against Aston Villa, when Holloway shuffled the starting line up of players which revealed ten changes to his side. They went on to win three and draw three of the other six fixtures.
Bruce will welcome back http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Kieran-Richardson-c20946
and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Titus-Bramble-c35166 are possibilities for this game if they both recover in time, from their illness (Richardson) and knee injury (Bramble).
Charlie Adam will not be playing this match as he is out due to a suspension and the skipper is one of the long list of unavailable players for the Seasiders. The goalkeeper Matt Gilks and striker http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Marlon-c24261 Harewood are also doubtful to star against Sunderland.
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