Sunderland head to Norwich City in the Championship this weekend.
Sunderland head to Carrow Road where they’ll look to end a run of three-straight defeats in the Championship.
The Black Cats remain in 10th place of the Championship table but are now eight points behind Hull City in 6th.
Just a few weeks ago after the 3-1 win over Plymouth Argyle, Sunderland were in 6th and a point ahead of the Tigers.
But Michael Beale has since been sacked after a turgid run of form, combined with some negative performances, and interim boss Mike Dodds would suffer a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Swansea City in his opening game.
David Prutton predicts another defeat for Sunderland
Sunderland are certainly in a poor vein of form right now.
And with Jack Clarke sidelined until April at the earliest, and Dan Ballard suspended for one more game yet, it’ll certainly play into Norwich City’s favour as they vie for a spot in the top six.
The Canaries sit in 7th place of the table and three points behind Hull in 6th.
David Wagner’s side are unbeaten in their last five league games and have lost just one of their last nine, drawing away at Blackburn Rovers last time out.
But Sky Sports pundit David Prutton has predicted that Norwich will return to winning ways at the expense of Sunderland this weekend, predicting a 2-1 scoreline for the Canaries.
The last time these two teams met, Sunderland earned a 3-1 win at the Stadium of Light back in October, with goals coming from Trai Hume, Dan Neil, and Clarke.
Matters could go from bad to worse for Mike Dodds v Norwich City
Dodds has certainly come in at a difficult time.
The Sunderland players seem to be at a loss following the turbulence of the Beale tenure, and with no Ballard or Clarke this weekend, against a strong Norwich City side too, it could be a very long afternoon.
There’s still a glimmer of hope for the Black Cats where the top six is concerned and so that will hopefully spur them on this weekend.
Dodds will have learned from the mistakes of the Swansea City game and expect him to revert to a much more familiar shape this weekend.
And Clarke’s absence, and Ballard’s too, will give some lesser-seen players the chance to impress going into the summer and next season, with both Clarke and Ballard potentially leaving this summer.
Kick off is at 3pm tomorrow afternoon and if Sunderland can prove Prutton’s prediction wrong, it’ll give the whole club and the fanbase a much-needed confidence boost.