Match Preview: Stoke City v Sunderland - all you need to know ahead of kick-off!

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Saturday 21st October 2023

(21st) Stoke City v Sunderland (4th)

Championship

Bet 365 Stadium

Kick-Off: 15:00

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Tickets & Match Coverage

Tickets: Tickets are sold out.

TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is 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...

With roughly a quarter of the season already behind us, it feels like the Lads are yet to get out of second gear - yet we sit 4th in the table.

Just as we did last year we could look at our home form where we have lost two of the last three and have lost as many as we have won in total, but on the road it’s a different story - although it’s once again the same tale from last season.

Nine goals in the last three away from home has not only resulted in the Lads boasting the third best away record in the division, but in total, only three sides have scored more and only three sides have conceded fewer - so I suppose it shouldn’t surprising that only three teams sit above us in the table.

Our record at Stoke isn’t great - with only three victories in 17 in the Potteries this century. For a lot of the players though, and even the opposition's manager, last year’s fixture at the Bet365 stadium will hopefully prove significant with Alex Neil leading Sunderland to victory.

Tony Mowbray and his side have had a fortnight to stew on a heavy home defeat last time out and if they needed any more inspiration, a trip to Alex Neil’s Stoke City should do the trick.

Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

This is the sixth season since the Potters were relegated from the Premier League and in that time the highest they have finished is 14th in the table - and after a quarter of the season gone, they could struggle once again to beat that.

Alex Neil was handed the task last season of improving the fortunes at the Bet365 and so far it’s not quite going to plan. Despite taking the job in August of last season, Neil could only lead them to 16th and his side currently sit in 21st position.

Middlesbrough have shown the way in terms of where a good run can lift a side due to how tight the Championship table currently stands, but Stoke have lost five in the last seven league games and sit only two points above Queens Park Rangers who occupy the final relegation spot.

Specifically on home soil, they have lost the last three successive league games, but last time around against Southampton at the beginning of this month provided hope as it was a much improved performance than what came before against Hull City.

Alex Neil and Stoke are looking to kickstart their season and the Lads are looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat, add into the mix a former manager who bailed and a popular player in the opposition ranks, it could be a tense afternoon at the Bet365 Stadium.

Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images

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Sunderland away form...

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Stoke City home form...

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The betting...

The bookies have today’s fixture as a close run thing with a home win priced at 11/8, while a victory for the Lads is priced at around 9/5 and the draw is 12/5.

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Head to head... at Stoke

(All competitions)

• Sunderland wins: 20
• Draws: 19
• Stoke City wins: 37
• Sunderland goals: 71
• Stoke City goals: 109

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Last time we met... at the Bet365 Stadium

Saturday 20th August 2022

Championship

Stoke City 0-1 Sunderland

[Stewart 45’]

Sunderland: Patterson, Gooch, O’Nien (Wright), Batth, Cirkin, Clarke, Matete (Evans), Pritchard (Hume), Embleton, Stewart, Simms Substitutes not used: Bass, Alese, Diamond, Roberts

Stoke City: Bursik, Fosu, Thompson, Taylor, Jagielka, Wilmot, Kilkenny (Campbell), Baker, Brown (Gayle), Delap (Wright-Phillips), Smallbone (Clucas) Substitutes not used: Bonham, Fox, Flint

Attendance: 21,230

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

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Played for both...

Paul Bracewell

Bracewell was one of the best young prospects in the country when he broke through at Stoke City under manager Alan Durban, and it was some rare good fortune that resulted in the young midfielder following Durban to Sunderland in the summer of 1983.

After one season at Roker, FA winners Everton took him to Goodison Park and Bracewell became part of possibly the greatest ever Everton side until a long term injury put him out of action.

The injury meant his Everton days were over and he signed once again for the Lads in 1989 and yet again in 1995 after a stint up the road, before retiring as a player at Fulham to begin a managerial career.

Photo by Mark Leech/Offside via Getty Images

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