Sunderland face Stoke City in the Championship on Saturday, looking for a victory to get their promotion bid back on track.
Sunderland’s defeat against Sheffield United punctuated five consecutive draws for Regis Le Bris’ side, leaving Sunderland in fourth place after previously being top of the Championship.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 25 | 9 | 16 | 38 |
| 2 |  BurnleyBurnley | 18 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 23 | 6 | 17 | 36 |
| 3 |  LeedsLeeds | 18 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 31 | 13 | 18 | 35 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 18 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 26 | 13 | 13 | 33 |
| 5 |  MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 32 | 21 | 11 | 30 |
| 6 |  WatfordWatford | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 26 | 24 | 2 | 30 |
Le Bris played down concerns about Sunderland’s confidence, but clearly, something needs to change if the Black Cats are to find their early season form again.
Hosting Stoke City at the Stadium of Light, Le Bris called for support from Sunderland fans to help their side over the line against a side that hasn’t won in their last four matches.
Here is all you need to know ahead of Sunderland’s clash with Stoke City at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
When do Sunderland play Stoke City?
Sunderland vs Stoke City is scheduled to take place on Saturday the 7th of December, with kick-off at 12:30 pm GMT.
Is Sunderland vs Stoke City on TV?
Sunderland vs Stoke City will be shown live on Sky Sports+, with coverage set to begin at 12:30 pm GMT.
- Sky Glass Channel Number: 410
- Sky Q Channel Number: 412
- ROI Channel Number: 416
- Virgin TV Channel Number: 508
Live Stream
Sunderland vs Stoke City can be live-streamed via the Sky Sports app, or through your NOW TV subscription. A day membership is available for £14.99, with monthly and yearly subscription options also available.
Sunderland Team News
One blow for Le Bris on Saturday will be the absence of Chris Mepham. Mepham was red-carded against Sheffield United, meaning Luke O’Nein will return to the centre of the Black Cats defence following his spell at right back.
With O’Nein switching positions, Dennis Cirkin’s return from injury after a broken wrist couldn’t have been better timed as he will likely resume his starting right-back role.
Sunderland Injuries
Sunderland will remain without the following players for the clash with Stoke, with their injuries being more long-term.
- Niall Huggins
- Jenson Seelt
- Ian Poveda
- Salis Abdul Samed
- Ahmed Abdullahi
- Romaine Mundle
- Alan Browne
Prediction
With Sunderland in fourth and Stoke in 14th, Saturday’s contest should be an easy one to predict. However, Le Bris’ side has seemingly lost their early-season convincingness over recent weeks.
Still, with Stoke also flattering to deceive, the Sunderland squad should have enough about it to earn three points. We’ll go for a 1-0 Sunderland win.
- Prediction: Sunderland 1-0 Stoke City.