Statistical Insights: Sunderland vs. Stoke City

Sunderland, who were considered nearly invincible until November and were early-season front-runners, have since fallen to fourth position. This decline follows a period of six winless games over the last month. Following a 1-0 defeat by new leaders Sheffield United last weekend, The Black Cats aim to regain their winning form when they host Stoke City, seeking to improve their league standing. Stoke, currently positioned 14th in the table, started the previous month with back-to-back victories against Derby and Blackburn. However, they have since experienced a loss of momentum, recording three successive draws before suffering a 2-0 loss to Burnley. ● Sunderland has been defeated in four of their most recent six league encounters with Stoke (W2), with a cumulative score of 12-3 in those losses. ● Stoke has secured two wins in their last three away league fixtures against Sunderland (L1). This number of victories equals their total from the preceding 24 such matches combined (D9 L13). ● Since the beginning of November, Sunderland stands as one of only three teams in the Championship without a victory (D5 L1). During this period, The Black Cats have also scored the joint-lowest number of goals, with a total of three. ● Stoke has not secured a win in their last four league games (D3 L1). They face the possibility of failing to score in three consecutive league matches, a situation not encountered since November 2023. ● In the Championship this season, only Sheffield United (65 minutes 01 seconds) has spent less time trailing than Sunderland (104:37). The Black Cats have fallen behind in only one home league fixture this season, which was a 2-2 draw against Leeds in October. Sandi Toksvig will be accompanied by Gyles Brandreth, Lulu, Emmanuel Sonubi, and Alan Davies. Opportunities are available to sing along to tracks by Queen, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Katy Perry, among others. Ben Fogle and Kate Humble are returning to participate in the celebrations at Longleat Safari Park. Topics range from the presence of microplastics in our atmosphere, ground, and aquatic systems, to the volume of food waste typically generated during this period. Copyright 2024 BBC. The BBC disclaims responsibility for material on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external links is available.