Match Preview: Sunderland v Norwich City - will the Lads claim our first home win of the season?

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Saturday 27th August 2022

(5th) Sunderland v Norwich City (8th)

Championship

Stadium of Light

Kick-Off: 12:30

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Tickets & Match Coverage

Tickets: Tickets available here.

TV/Stream: Full live match coverage available via Sky Sports.

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...

Five games in, eight points on the board and a home game following a solid victory on the road. It was looking oh so rosy for a few hope-filled days, where the possibilities of where this season may end up almost blew our tiny little minds.

But then what’s this you say? It’s all knackered now?! Well, time will tell, but one thing is for sure, the events of the past twenty-four hours has certainly rocked the boat.

In the time between this being written and read, Alex Neil will likely be the official manager of Stoke City and we’re onto the next chapter. We have a good side and there’s a bunch of talented young players in our ranks, get the right recruitment to follow up Alex Neil and who knows, we might be in business again.

It’s always difficult to predict the reaction of a set of players after the manager leaves, but despite the impressive early league position, we’re still looking for our first three points on home soil this season, and today’s fixture, given the circumstances and the fact it’s in front of the cameras, would be a perfect time to get them.

Photo by Nigel French/PA Images via Getty Images

Since promotion from League One in 2009-10, Norwich City have become a real yo-yo club between top flight and the Championship - and they’ve become pretty good at it as well.

Over the last twelve years, six have been in the Premier League and six have been in the Championship. It hasn’t alternated precisely from year to year, so we’ll dock them a mark for that, but as yo-yo clubs go, they’re one of the best around.

Dean Smith only took charge last November in an effort to save Norwich from another relegation from the top flight, but finds himself once again a Championship manager this season with the remit to once again return Norwich to where they came from.

This season didn’t get off to the best of starts however, two defeats and a draw in the opening three games wasn’t what Dean Smith would have had in mind, but back-to-back wins on home soil over Huddersfield Town and Millwall has steadied the ship, but City are still searching for their first win on the road.

Their recent record on Wearside might also give them a boost as they’re unbeaten in the last four on Wearside, a run stretching back to February 2012 when Martin O’Neill’s Sunderland comfortably swept aside Paul Lambert’s Norwich 3-0.

Photo by Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images

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The betting...

The bookies favour an away win at 5/4, with a Sunderland win at 21/10, and the draw 9/4.

In terms of a correct score, a 1-1 draw is the shortest odds at 9/2, followed by 7/1 for a 1-0 Norwich win, although a 1-0 home victory is close behind at 15/2.

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Head to head... at Sunderland

(All competitions)

• Sunderland wins: 12
• Draws: 8
• Norwich City wins: 10
• Sunderland goals: 41
• Norwich City goals: 31

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

Tuesday 10th April 2018

Sky Bet Championship

Stadium of Light

Sunderland 1-1 Norwich City

[Honeyman 63’ - Pinto 89’]

Sunderland: Camp, Love, Kone, O’Shea (Clarke-Salter), Matthews (Oviedo), Gooch (Lua-Lua), Cattermole, Honeyman, McGeady, Ejaria, Fletcher Substitutes not used: Steele, Robson, McManaman, Asoro

Norwich City: Gunn, Pinto, Husband (Lewis), Reed, Zimmermann (Srbeny), Hanley, Hoolahan (Klose), Vrancic, Oliveira, Maddison, Murphy Substitutes not used: McGovern, Raggett, Tettey, Leitner

Attendance: 24,894

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Played for both...

Michael Turner

The central defender made his breakthrough at Brentford after moving from Charlton in 2004 and then moved onto Hull City in 2006. Phil Parkinson actually managed to bag a bargain as Turner became an integral part of Phil Brown’s side that gained promotion to the Premier League.

He then made the move to Sunderland after Hull had survived the drop in their first season in the top flight following promotion and spent three years on Wearside, where injuries took their toll and he moved on to Norwich City.

A spell at Southend United followed before retiring in 2019.

Photo credit should read LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images

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