Match Preview: Sunderland v Sheffield Wednesday - all the build-up ahead of kick-off!

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Thursday 30th December 2021

(2nd) Sunderland v Sheffield Wednesday (8th)

Sky Bet League One

Stadium of Light

Kick-Off: 19:45

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Tickets & Match Coverage

Tickets: Tickets are available online via SAFC here.

TV/Stream: Full live match coverage available via www.safc.com.

Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online)

Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker Report Twitter feed (@RokerReport) and check out the player ratings after the full-time whistle at www.RokerReport.com!

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The build-up...

It was important for Sunderland to quickly discount a 5-1 defeat at Arsenal and not let it impact our impressive League One form, and at Doncaster on Monday we certainly did just that.

Our 3-0 defeat of Rovers means that we are without a defeat in League One since visiting our opponents tonight on the 3rd November. That ended up a 3-0 defeat, the bookend of our wobble during the first half of the season.

An impressive run of form since has propelled us back into an automatic promotion spot, sitting only a point behind leaders Rotherham while Wigan accumulate games in hand below us.

After our defeat to Wednesday last month, we have a point to prove and with both sides in good form we could be in for a close game.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

It’s strange to consider that despite the fact we’re approaching our 25th anniversary of moving to the Stadium of Light, this is only the fourth time we have met the Owls in League competition on home soil since leaving Roker Park.

It might have something to do with the fact that Wednesday have been outside of the top flight since relegation from the Premier League in May 2000. More recently they ended a nine year stint in the Championship last season, where despite flirting with the play-offs during that time, they exited via occupying a relegation spot last season to return to League One for the first time since 2011-12.

They are currently in a rich vein of form, winning three of the last five, which puts them five points short of the play-offs. Their form on the road has been impressive this season, accumulating 18 points from 12 games and suffering defeat only twice on their travels.

It was a convincing victory last time out at Hillsborough when Wednesday ran out 3-0 winners and Darren Moore will be planning on a repeat tonight to improve his sides promotion credentials.

Photo by George Wood/Getty Images

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League One Form...

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The betting...

The bookies are backing the Lads at evens to take all three points tonight, while a fifth away win of the season for Wednesday is priced at 13/5 and the draw is 12/5.

In terms of correct score, a 1-1 draw is favourite at 5/1, with a 1-0 win for the Lads priced at at 5/1 and a 2-0 home win is 8/1.

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Head to head... at Sunderland

(Home and away in all competitions at Roker Park/Stadium of Light)

• Sunderland wins: 32
• Draws: 11
• Sheffield Wednesday wins: 18
• Sunderland goals: 115
• Sheffield Wednesday goals: 71

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Last time we met... at the Stadium of Light

Thursday 16th August 2018

League Cup - 1st Round

Sunderland 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday

(Matias 29’, Reach 79’)

Sunderland: McLaughlin, Hume, Ozturk, Baldwin, James (Molyneux), Honeyman, Cattermole (Maja), Power, O’Nien, Embleton (Gooch), Maguire Substitutes not used: Ruiter, Taylor, Mumba, Robson

Sheffield Wednesday: Wildsmith, Palmer, Boyd, Nielsen, Lees, Van Aken (Penney), Matias, Hunt (Kirby), Fletcher, Bannan (Lee), Reach Substitutes not used: Dawson, O’Grady, Jones, Nuhiu

Attendance: 13,890

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Played for both...

Michael Gray

Making his debut for Sunderland in 1992, Gray went on to make 410 appearances for the Lads over the next 11 years, before moving to Blackburn Rovers.

After three years at Ewood Park, he moved to the West Midlands and to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2007, before joining Sheffield Wednesday in 2009 following a loan move at Hillsborough. It would be Gray’s final club before retiring in 2010.

Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images

Chris Turner

Sheffield-born Turner started his career at Sheffield Wednesday in the mid-1970s and played over 100 games for the South Yorkshire club before he joined Sunderland in a deal worth £80,000 in 1979.

Turner made 224 appearances before signing for Manchester United in 1985 for £275,000 and spent three years at Old Trafford until he returned to Hillsborough for a second spell in 1988. He finished his career at Leyton Orient in 1994 before coming manager of Orient and subsequently had spells managing Hartlepool United, Sheffield Wednesday and Stockport County.

Photo by Bob Thomas Sports Photography via Getty Images

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