Sunderland

Middlesbrough v Sunderland FA Cup betting is the big highlight of the midweek action, as six teams battle it out for a place in the fifth round. The Middlesbrough v Sunderland replay is one of three FA Cup Fourth Round replays this week, all following 1-1 draws at the first attempt. Premier League side Sunderland missed their opportunity to take advantage of home advantage at the end of January, and now Martin O’Neill’s men face a tricky trip to face Boro on their home turf. Middlesbrough, it has to be said, aren’t in the greatest form of the season at the moment, having not won in the Championship in their last six attempts. They face Sunderland on the back of 0-0 home draw against Crystal Palace in the league on Saturday, but they are still hanging on to sixth spot in the Championship after playing so strongly over the first half of the season. The replay should be just as tight as the first leg, as Middlesbrough don’t score a lot, and are relatively tight at the back. Their goal difference on the league season is just +3, so that tells you a lot. Sunderland rattled off another good win in their revival under Martin O’Neill, having now won five of their last six Premier League matches. They are a team in form and will be expected to move ahead to the fifth the round. The prize for the winner of this FA Cup Replay is a home fixture against Arsenal, so big things at stake here. Although they are away from home, the Black Cats are in great form right now, Boro are not and that really has to count for something in your betting options. Still, Sunderland aren’t a prolific goal scoring outfit themselves, and this is why Middlesbrough v Sunderland betting should be pretty tight. Extra time really isn’t out of the question in this fixture.

What else do we have to look forward to? Well League One high flyers Sheffield Wednesday get another crack at high flying Championship side Blackpool. Both sides won their respective league matches on the weekend, and both are in great shape at the moment. That is why this may be the most entertaining of the FA Cup replays this week. Picking a winner isn’t going to be easy from these two, especially with Sheffield Wednesday being at home, which levels the playing field even more. The winner of this replay is going to be an away tie against Premier League side Everton at Goodison Park, so there is a good pay day in the making for the winners here. The other Fourth Round tie to be settled, is Millwall v Southampton. Southampton, who are second in the Championship and hunting down a return to England’s top flight, square off against divisional rivals Millwall again. Millwall are struggling near the relegation zone, but neither side won on the weekend. While Millwall have lost six of their last eight league matches, Southampton’s form has stumbled a little bit as well. Still, the south coasters will be favoured to get through. They have met once in the Championship this season as well, and that produced a 1-0 home win for the Saints. And the Saints again will be excepted to go marching on to the fifth round, where a home tie against Premier League strugglers Bolton is awaiting.

Middlesbrough v Sunderland FA Cup Fourth Round Replay betting
Boro5/2, Draw 12/5, Sunderland 11/10 at Bet365

Sheffield Wednesday v Blackpool FA Cup Fourth Round Replay betting
Sheffield Wednesday 6/4, Draw 12/5, Blackpool 13/8 at SkyBet

Southampton v Millwall FA Cup Fourth Round Replay betting
Southampton 8/11, Draw 12/5, Millwall 15/4 at Boylesports

When little clusters of matches like this, there is always a good opportunity to build yourself a multiple bet. What is equally as good, is the chance to take some insurance on your accumulator if you having a crack at one. Paddy Power offer such insurance, with their Half Time Saver. Place a fourfold (or larger) bet, and if your bet is winning at half time (meaning that all selections are winning at half time in the selected matches), but for some reason or another the bet fails at the end of 90 minutes, then you will get your lost stake refunded as a free bet. This gives coverage on your accumulator betting, and with the three FA Cup replays above, you will need to add a fourth match in order to qualify. But there is Birmingham v Portsmouth going off in the Championship on the night of the first replays as an option, but shop around and you can good insurance from the Paddy Power half time saver. Online bookmaker Paddy Power offer a free £50 bet for new customers registering an account. The bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account with a free bet, up to the maximum value of £50.

It will be worth dropping by online bookmaker Ladbrokes for Sunderland v Middlesbrough FA Cup betting on Sunday. The bookie has a great betting promotion running for the FA Cup fourth round match at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland host Championship side Middlesbrough, who are chasing a play off place in the division at the moment. Sunderland have undergone something of a revival since Martin O’Neill took over from the sacked Steve Bruce, tightening up at the back a lot and becoming a force to be reckoned with. They are finally starting to live up to potential and a different looking side from the one which struggled through the first half of the season. Sunderland, who will be without Nicolas Bendtner will be favourites to take a stride forward in the competition as they face a Middlesbrough side who are riding high, but are on a bad run of form. Borough have lost three league matches in a row now, as they have hit a major slump. They are still clinging on to a play off place in the Championship, just about, but they have lost a lot of ground with no win in four. But the FA Cup is always a great distraction for Championship side when there is the chance of claiming a Premier League scalp, and with this being a Wear-Tees derby of course, then the emotions and passions will be running high. One thing that Middlesbrough can take into the match is an unbeaten run of four games against Sunderland in their previous meetings. So they can take a bit of confidence with them, and no doubt a win over Sunderland would help with confidence in getting their Championship challenge back on track.

But Sunderland are favourites, and if they open the scoring to take the lead the in the match but fail to go on and win, then online bookmaker Ladbrokes will refund lost Goalscorer bets. So there is some good Sunderland v Middlesbrough FA Cup betting insurance to take here with Ladbrokes. It means you jump right into the First Goalscorer market, where Stephane Sessegnon is favourite at 5/1, with Frazier Campbell and Connor Wickham just behind at 11/2 in the market. So good value, if you take end up with a losing First Goalscorer selection, but Sunderland fail to go on and win the match after scoring first, then it will be time for refunds! Qualifying bets have to be placed before kick off. Popular bookie Ladbrokes offer a free £50  bet for new customers registering an account. The bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account with a free bet, up to the maximum value of £50 giving you some great free betting cash to enjoy.

Sunderland v Manchester City Betting Tip & Odds: Pretty much expecting a Manchester City bounce back. How many games can you see them going without scoring a goal? After they were shut out in the last game, you would expect them to find the back of the net this time out, and with Sunderland lacking goals, that should at least secure a point for City. Would comfortably take a Manchester City -1 Asian Handicap for Evens at Bet365 for a bit of value and coverage.

Sunderland to win: 6/1 at Totesport
Draw: 10/3 at Boylesports
Manchester City to win: 8/15 at Bet365

EPL Match Preview: Can Sunderland make City fire blanks at the Stadium of Light on New Year’s Day? That is what they will be hoping, because keeping a clean sheet may be the Black Cats’ only way to three points here. There is such an imbalance of fire power shown between these two sides, City firing in 53 goals this season compared to Sunderland’s 22. So it hardly suggest that Sunderland are going to out gun City in an open game, so they will be hoping to do what West Brom managed to do at the Hawthorns against City on Boxing Day, and that is stop City from scoring. City dropped more valuable away points on Boxing Day, their third away match in a row where they have dropped points. Are the wheels starting to come off the challenge of City for the title? Are they feeling the pressure from the upward swing in form from Manchester United? City can’t really afford to drop points on New Year’s Day, as they are level on points with United at the top of the league. Sunderland are also flirting with the relegation zone, and can neither afford to see points go down the drain, so that is why a big defensive effort is expected from them. The impetus will be on City to go and break down the home side, and boss Roberto Mancini will be hoping that his strikers find their range again after firing blanks at West Brom.

Sunderland Form: Sunderland look as if they might just be turning a corner and starting find more wins, but those are not coming easily at the moment. After just two wins in their opening fourteen league matches this year, Sunderland have notched up two in their last four. Granted those were tight victories against Blackburn and QPR, but they have picked up those valuable points nonetheless because they were in need of them. There has been just one defeat in the last four for Sunderland, who really could use a boost of firepower, but at least points are starting to come their way. The Black Cats have not been as solid or as strong as people were anticipating them to be, and at the Stadium of Light this year, they have managed just two wins, along with four draws and three defeats. That is just a 22% success rate at home, not great stats there. But they are undefeated in their last two at home, so that is something to build upon, and they have scored in their last three home matches as well. On the flip side of that, they have also conceded in their last three home matches, so they are having to work hard for their rewards. Sunderland have netted thirteen times in their nine home matches this season at a rate of 1.44 per game. They have conceded eleven though and that has been their problem, definitely not being as tight at the back as they were supposed to be. Sunderland have conceded an average of 1.2 goals per game at home, and have only managed one home clean sheet. Sunderland haven’t been prolific up front, but their best period for scoring has come in the last fifteen minutes of games. They have conceded and scored most of their goals in the second half of matches, and have only opened the scoring in 33% of all their matches this season. So that suggests that if they get behind to City, then they are going to struggle to get anything out of the game. Sebastian Larsson has been the most effective in front of goal for the Black Cats this season, with five goals, backed up with three each from Sesegnon and Bendtner. Certainly nothing prolific there. Sunderland’s most frequent score lines at home have been 2-2 draws and 2-1 defeats.

Manchester City Form: Are there signs of a stumble at the Etihad Stadium? Well there have been five dropped points in their last four matches, and suddenly points are starting to slip through City’s hands. The Blues have already seen their rivals Man Utd pull level on points with them at the summit of the Premier League and now they have to go and face another tricky away test on New Year’s Day. The other title contenders will have already played by then, so City will know the situation ahead of kick off at the Stadium of Light. City dropped two points on Boxing Day, when they found West Brom in a stubborn mood at the Hawthorns. City are actually now on a run of three away fixtures in the Premier League without a win, drawing against Liverpool and West Brom, and suffering that defeat at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, which broke their unbeaten run from the start of the season. Overall in the Premier League this season, Man City have won five, drawn three and lost one match away from home, so they are going along at a 55% success rate on the road. But it is their recent away form which may be a bit troubling to boss Roberto Mancini. Equally as interestingly, West Brom became the first team to shut Manchester City out completely this season, something which is obviously not easily done. City have rattled in 25 away goals this season, which is an average of 2.78 goals per match, but they have been guilty of lapses at the back, conceding an average of 1.2 goals per game away from home. So opponents do get a look in, however, the Man City attack usually wins out on the day. 78% of all Man City’s away games have ended Over 2.5 goals. Manchester City are a very strong second half side in the goal scoring department, of that there is no doubt. 70% of all their league goals have come in the second half of games, and they have kept things so very tight in the first half of matches at the back. City have conceded just four first half goals this season. Sergio Aguero is the man leading the goal scoring charts with 13 goals, with Edin Dzeko stuck on 10 behind him, and Mario Balotelli back on 8. There has been such a valuable team contribution going forward, that you do expect City to win out more often than not, not matter how many they concede. But things are getting just a little bit sticky away from home for them.

Head to Head: Sunderland lead the head to head between these two at home, winning 35 of the 65 meetings between the two there. City have picked up just 18 wins at Sunderland in their history. However, the home side will have fond memories last season’s corresponding fixture, as they ran out 1-0 winners over City, before City hammered the Black Cats 5-0 back in Manchester. While City haven’t picked up a win in their last two trips to the Stadium of Light, before that, they did win the previous four matches there in a row. So while the stats suggest that Sunderland should get on the score sheet, you have to look at the current firepower which City have and would back them to get ahead.

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New Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill will take charge of his first full game for Sunderland this weekend, in a big clash against Blackburn Rovers at the Stadium of Light. With Steve Bruce getting the sack after a fairly mediocre season from the Black Cats, it promoted the return to football management for former Villa boss Martin O’Neill. Sunderland edge Blackburn by just one point in the Premier League, so this is going to be a massive match on Sunday. Sunderland haven’t managed to pick up a win in the last five league matches now, and have managed just two all season. Their last two matches have been huge losses for them, with 2-1 defeats against Wigan and Wolves, both fellow strugglers in the league, which has dropped Sunderland into big trouble. As for Blackburn, who are still sticking with the under fire Steve Kean despite on going protests from fans, they broke an eight game winless streak in the league with a 4-2 home win over Swansea last weekend. That too was only their second victory of the season and there look to be a long road ahead for both of these, but there are differences between the two. Blackburn’s defence has been horrendous this season, having conceded 32 goals all season, including at least one goal in all of their away matches this season. It has been four draws and three defeats on the road for Blackburn this season, but they have been better in front of goal than Sunderland by five goals. However, Sunderland look imminently more fixable, because they have a decent defence but just don’t score enough goals. Black Cats fans have only had one home league win to celebrate this season which came back in September. Since then it has been three draws and one defeat. So it is interesting to see which way this game will go and Paddy Power have launched a Money Back Special for your Sunderland v Blackburn betting.

If there are four or more goals in the match, then Paddy Power will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast singles placed on the match. Five of Blackburn’s seven away league matches this season have ended with four or more goals being scored, so this could be some pretty good coverage. Over in the First Goalscorer Market, Blackburn’s Yakubu who is on nine league goals this season, is at 13/2, while it is Sunderland’s Nicklas Bendtner who is trading as favourite at 11/2 in this market. In the Correct Score betting, a 1-0 or 2-1 win for Sunderland fetches 13/2, so there is good value around, especially with the cover from the Paddy Power Sunderland v Blackburn Money Back Special.

Sunderland v Blackburn Betting Odds at Paddy Power
Sunderland 10/11, Draw 5/2, Blackburn 3/1

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Sunday’s Premier League fixture of Wolves v Sunderland betting throws up an interesting match. The Black Cats have a new man in charge, as Martin O’Neill accepted the job opening there following the sacking of Steve Bruce. Sunderland have been stuttering along for most of the season and after a poor defeat against Wigan in their last match, it was time for a change at Sunderland. O’Neill won’t be at the helm on Saturday, as assistant boss Eric Black will be overseeing things until O’Neill gets his teeth into the club next week. So the Sunderland players will no doubt be looking to impress their new, on looking manager. The Black Cats are hovering close to the relegation zone and so need a big boost, but Wolves are really not much better off, starting the match level on points with Sunderland. Just like Sunderland, Wolves have only managed one win in their last eight matches and are on a two match losing streak. So there is definitely a big three points at stake in your Wolves v Sunderland betting and online bookmaker Paddy Power have a great online betting promotion running for it.

If the Wolves v Sunderland match ends in a 0-0 draw, then Paddy Power will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast single bets placed on the match. Interestingly, Sunderland have not had back to back results of the same nature this season, meaning that haven’t won, drawn or lost back to back games. As they lost last time out, they should be good for a draw or a win on Sunday. Wolves though will be looking to history to back them up, as they have won their last three home league fixtures against Sunderland. But with both sides struggling for goals, if the match does end up in a 0-0 draw, then at least you will get some insurance on your football betting.

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Wolves v Sunderland Betting Odds at Paddy Power
Wolves 11/8, Draw 9/4, Sunderland 2/1

Manchester United v Sunderland Betting Tip & Odds: Last year’s 2-0 win for the Red Devils seems about the right result again this time around. It may deteriorate into a bit of a midfield battle at Old Trafford, but would still look for the Red Devils to  take the three points. Think the best option for value is to go and look in the First Goalscorer market, where Wayne Rooney is 10/3 at Bet365. He has to be due a goal, and may be fresh from his midfield role in the Champions League in the week.

Manchester United to win: 1/4 at Bet365
Draw: 11/2 at Victor Chandler
Sunderland to win: 14/1 at Blue Square

EPL Match Preview: All of sudden this season, a home match for Manchester United doesn’t look too much of an interesting prospect. Why? Well that is because of the attacking flair and power that Manchester City are proving to be far more proficient at, and both Chelsea and Arsenal are full of entertainment, but no necessarily for the right reasons. Manchester United have dropped into something of a consolidation mode, and their battering against Man City appears to have given them a wake up call that they need to sacrifice offensive swagger for defensive duties. In a season of poor defences so far (Man City and Newcastle aside), it may prove to be a smart move in the long run for Sir Alex Ferguson. You would think that against Sunderland, Manchester United should be able to focus on a little bit more attack as they have a pretty good record against the Black Cats. Will a fluent Manchester United turn up, or will they grind out another result like they did at Everton and at home against Otelul Galati in the Champions League? Will Sunderland be really able to kick start their season with a hard earned win at Old Trafford?

Manchester United Form: Sir Alex Ferguson’s men have picked themselves up well after their humiliation against rivals Man City. Following that loss, the Red Devils have found themselves trailing City by five points at the top of the table. After starting the season with a great deal of swagger and power, including that 8-2 win over Arsenal, something has happened to them. They no longer are playing with that same conviction, that same fluency or dominance. It may coincide with Wayne Rooney’s goals having dried up, as the England striker has not hit a Premier League goals since United’s 3-1 win over Chelsea on September 18th. That is now five matches without a goal for Rooney, and in that period, the Red Devils have drawn two, lost one (could easily have been two against Liverpool) and won two. Not the great form which they showed when they raced out of the gates with five straight wins. That confidence has gone, but they are still to be banked on to get the job done when it matters. Ferguson has tinkered with his squad quite a bit this season, which is understandable as he is fighting on three different fronts at the moment. The Carling Cup sides and the Champions League sides have really lacked a great deal of invention and conviction, and you look across Manchester and see an incredibly strong squad at Eastlands. There doesn’t seem to be the same depth of quality at Old Trafford though, but they have the big ace up their sleeve of Sir Alex Ferguson, who is celebrating 25 years at Old Trafford. You know that United will be close to the top come the end of the season, but after a defensive and dull display at Goodison Park where they earned a 1-0 win in their last Premier League match, they could do with a good, cohesive, confidence boosting performance. At Old Trafford this season in the league, United have won four and lost one, so that’s an 80% success rate which is nothing to be sneezed at. They are on a home streak of  5 matches without a draw at Old Trafford, and they have scored in all five of their home matches in the league this season. While Rooney has disappeared, United aren’t struggling to find the net at home, as they have hit 17 in their five matches, but consider that 8 of those came in one match. But still, that is a 3.4 goals per game average at Old Trafford this season. United have only kept clean sheets in 40% of their home games, and with scoring first in 80% of all their matches, you can expect them to find a way through Sunderland at some point. United’s most profitable period of games have been in the final fifteen minutes of matches. Rooney is top scorer for the club with nine goals, while Javier Hernandez has backed up with 4, and Danny Welbeck and Nani have weighed in with three each.

Sunderland Form: It has been more of a struggle for Sunderland this season than expected, and they won’t be relishing a trip to Old Trafford at the moment. The Black Cats are down in 14th place in the league, with just two wins on the season. With manager Steve Bruce having been so busy over the summer bringing in new personnel, it was projected that Sunderland would be lined up for a pretty solid season, especially after having brought in ex United duo of Wes Brown and John O’Shea at the back. It took Sunderland five matches to record their first win of the season, and they have only managed one more since then. It is not that is has all be terrible for Sunderland, as they have earned themselves four draws, they just haven’t been able to adopt that killer instinct and finish off teams, or hang on to positive positions. They looked pretty lost at times in terms of a game plan at the start of the season, but they have now remained unbeaten in their last two matches, and so things may be about to turn the corner. But the last place you want to go to while trying to build up form, is Old Trafford. Away from the Stadium of Light this season, Sunderland have won one, drew two and lost two this season, so it doesn’t look as if there is too much potential for them picking up a win at Old Trafford on the weekend. Sunderland haven’t had an away draw in their last three matches, and combined with United not drawing at home this season, a draw seems unlikely for your betting. Sunderland have netted five and conceded five goals on their travels this season, so don’t look as if they really have the kind of offensive power to trouble United. The Black Cats have only managed to score fist in 20% of their matches, and if they fall behind at Old Trafford, then there will be problems. The goals just are not flowing from Sunderland, with Larsson top scoring with three, ahead of two each for Sessegnon and Bendtner. Sunderland have lost twice away from home by a 2-1 scoreline, their most frequent result. While an away win at Bolton and a home draw against Aston Villa (in which they needed  a late equaliser) may have given them a platform to build on, but at Old Trafford points  will be hard to come by.

Head to Head: At Old Trafford, there have been 65 meetings between United and Sunderland, with United winning 36 of those matches, which equates to a 55% success rate in this fixture. Last year’s corresponding fixture ended in a 2-0 win for Manchester United and looks a fair result for this time around. United have won three of the last four matches at home against the Black Cats, with a 2-2 draw breaking the run. One worrying trend for Sunderland is the fact that they haven’t scored against United in their last three meetings.

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Sunderland v Chelsea Betting Tip & Odds: Chelsea’s mega millions forward attack is strong favourite to come out on top here, and they have a good record away at Sunderland. So that is something to put in the bag. Sunderland are struggling up front, and need new boy Bendtner to fit right in straight away. Chelsea haven’t clicked up front yet, but have more pace and power than Sunderland, and should get through this. It could be a close affair so therefore, we are taking a Chelsea -1 Asian Handicap for 5/4 at Victor Chandler.

Sunderland to win: 9/2 at Totesport
Draw: 11/4 at Bet365
Chelsea to win: 8/11 at SkyBet

EPL Match Preview: An interesting match up here, as Sunderland’s rather limp attack goes up against Chelsea’s which has not been firing on all cylinders either. Chelsea, throughout Premier League history, have held a big upper hand over the Black Cats. The two sides traded away wins with each other last season, and both sides are looking for some fluency and creativity and focus up front. Chelsea of course almost are spoilt for choice as to what attacking line up they can put out, while Sunderland have more limited resources, and have had to turn to a loan move for Nicklas Bendtner for support. Although Chelsea haven’t been playing with any fluency yet, boss Andre Villas Boas is confident that the Stamford Bridge crew are going in the right direction and have brought in more players to try and force that home. It now becomes a task of man management for Villas Boas, trying to keep everyone happy. It is like we are waiting for things to happen from both clubs. Sunderland to break out of their shell, and for Chelsea to rediscover and touch on the potency that they have in their squad. Will it be another day of misfires where defences are on top? Or will something click into place for one of these two sides?

Sunderland Form: It has been a barren season for Sunderland so far. Boss Steve Bruce has been left pondering missed chances as his side have totally misfired up front all season. Their 1-0 defeat to Brighton in the Carling Cup did not go down well either, because chances were created but not taken. Sunderland have scored just one goal in their three Premier League matches so far this season, that coming in a 1-1 draw against Liverpool on the opening day. A following defeat at home to Newcastle and then a 0-0 away at Swansea hasn’t left Sunderland in too good of a shape. It is a little surprising that they have gotten off to such a sluggish start, because Bruce was one of the most active managers in the transfer market over the summer. He did pick up some youngsters for the future over the summer but they need help now. Having lost the services of Fraizer Campbell, plus losing Danny Welbeck back to his parent club Manchester United, Sunderland have been left a bit short up front. Bruce has been wanting someone else up front to carry the duties, and he has drafted in Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner to bolster the attack. The loan move was timed just right, as striker Asamoah Gyan will miss the Chelsea match after picking up an injury while on international duty. Bendtner will bring a bit of size up front for Sunderland, a bit of a target man, but who also has some decent skills on the deck. Sunderland need an injection of quality from somewhere up front, and Bendtner, who has become surplus to requirements at Arsenal, should walk straight into the starting line up at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. It is not quite panic button hitting time yet for Sunderland, but the Black Cats need goals to come soon. There is nothing too much wrong in defence for Sunderland, as Bruce made sure that he stiffened things up at the back, but they could be without John O’Shea on Saturday because of injury.

Chelsea Form: It has been something of a moderate and understated start to the new season for Chelsea under new boss Andre Villas Boas. The Blues have not exactly set the league on fire at all, and some of the problems from last season still seem to be carrying over. This is notably the lack of clear cut chances in a game, and raising their tempo to try and overpower opponents. Villas Boas did make a transfer move at the deadline, but it wasn’t Luka Modric from Tottenham, instead Villas Boas drafted in Liverpool’s Raul Meireles instead. Meireles could be a big impact player for Chelsea off the bench in pressing forward. In comparison to their high scoring title rivals Manchester United and Manchester City, Chelsea have only hit five goals in their opening three matches. There has just been a severe lack of fluency to Chelsea’s play, the midfield and the forwards just have not been linking up too well at all. But changes for the better could be coming as new players get settled. Chelsea did pick up Juan Mata, who scored on his debut against Norwich after coming on as a substitute. The Blues will be without Didier Drogba who picked up a concussion in that game against Norwich, but they do get Daniel Sturridge back to full fitness. Also coming back to full health is Petr Cech who picked up knee ligament damage in the pre-season. Chelsea do have plenty of options going forward, but they still don’t look to be settled into playing the way that Villas Boas would like. There is certainly room for improvement. Striker Fernando Torres, who has looked sharper this season but is still without a goal, was dropped from Spain’s match day squad to face Liechtenstein in the Euro 2012 qualifiers. So there is a little bit of a lack of confidence up front, so Villas Boas may be tempted to ring fresh changes with the likes of Sturridge and Romelu Lukaku. Somehow he will have to keep everyone happy, and he must be banking on players trying extra hard to keep their places in the starting line up.

Head to Head: This fixture has not been profitable for Sunderland through recent history. Yes, there was the famous away victory at Stamford Bridge last season, but that has left Sunderland with a record of just one win in the last thirteen matches against Chelsea. There have been 56 meetings between the two sides at Sunderland, with the Black Cats winning 30, Chelsea 17 and 9 draws. The last time Sunderland beat Chelsea at home though was back in the 2000/01 season when a 1-0 win brought them three points. In the overall head to head, Chelsea have a 46% win percentage compared to Sunderland’s 34%. In last year’s corresponding fixture, Chelsea ran out 4-2 winners. It has been six straight wins at Sunderland for Chelsea now.

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Saturday 10th September

Sunderland v Chelsea

Top flight league action returns after a week of International football as Steve Bruce’s Sunderland, still without a win, entertain Chelsea at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland have endured a tough start to their league campaign with just two points to show from their opening three games. They have found it hard to score goals having found the net just once which was on the opening day of the season. At the same time, however, they remain hard to break down which results in few teams getting the better of them. Liverpool could only manage a draw on the opening day of the season whilst Swansea, for all their efforts, had to settle for a point as well. It’s testament to the organsation of Bruce who prides himself on building from the back having been such an accomplished defender in his playing days. The Sunderland fans will be hoping that the new arrivals from the summer begin to click with Nicklas Bendtner the latest to sign on after agreeing a year long loan deal from Arsenal. He may just be the focal point the Black Cat’s need to push on and turn some draws into victories.

Chelsea remain unbeaten with two wins and a draw from their three games but few have been impressed with how they have reached their seven points. Andre Villas-Boas is learning the hard way in the Premier League that time is not a manager’s friend. Stuttering home wins against West Brom and Norwich followed an opening day draw with Stoke. The young manager said after that game that his side’s opponents were too physical and never played football in the correct manner – he may find history repeating itself tomorrow. Accused of lacking craft for a while now, Juan Mata and Raul Meireles who both arrived in August will be charged with providing that spark to ignite their title aspirations. Fernando Torres has looked sharper but is still to get off the mark this term whilst the likes of Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Nicholas Anelka are another year older.

Sunderland will make it difficult for Chelsea tomorrow with a five man midfield abley supported by a well drilled back four. Bendtner will likely start in place of Gyan who after the Ghanian injured himself in his country’s friendly against Brazil. Chelsea will also be without a striker in the shape of Drogba as he is still recovering from the vicious head injury he recieved in their last match against Norwich. This means Torres is likely to play through the middle with Mata and Florent Malouda possibly supporting him from the wide areas.

Chelsea have a magnificent record away to Sunderland winning on their last six visits. The home side will take heart from the fact they crushed Chelsea 3-0 last season at Stamford Bridge so they know it can be done. Personally I think Chelsea will be all the better for the International break and can seem them kicking on a bit now. Mata is a terrific addition to the squad and his trickery may well be the difference.

My Selection: Chelsea to beat Sunderland

Best odds available: 8/11 available with Paddypower

English Championship

Reading v Watford

Both Reading and Watford were much higher up the table for a lot of last season but they are looking up at most teams at the moment so both will be determined to get the points at the Madejski Stadium.

Brian McDermott must have been aware that this season would be even harder than his first full season last term. Not only did he need to pick his players up after losing out at Wembley in the play-off final, he also had to contend with the loss of key players such as Matt Mills and Shane Long. Both made big money moves and little of that money has been reinvested into the team. Adam Le Fondre has been brought in to shoulder the burden left by Long whilst Kaspars Gorkss has replaced Mills at the heart of the defence. Having impressively beaten Leicester at the Walkers Stadium in the middle of August, many would have expected the Royals to kick on but they have lost their next four games in all competitions. McDermott may well take some heart from the fact that every defeat has been by the odd goal but it’s little consolation as it still results in the same outcome – no points.

Watford have also had to contend with a shake-up in the summer as their manager, Malky Mackay has moved on to pastures new to take up the job at Cardiff. Sean Dyce, former player at the club, has come in but he has had to sell his best players as well. Danny Graham, last season’s top scorer, moved to Premier League side Swansea whilst Don Cowie has followed his former manager to Wales. It has resulted in Watford failing to win any of their five league games to date. Three draws with Birmingham, Coventry and Burnley, as well as defeats against West Ham and Derby have left many fans fearing the worst. The one positive that the Hornets can take solace from is the fact they have kept hold of their much sought after striker Marvin Sordell. Southampton were one of many sniffing about but he will be a Watford player until January at least.

Reading were one of the most impressive sides in the division last season and despite their departures, they still have a lot of quality. Le Fondre is a goalscorer and his move from Rotherham may prove to be a stroke of genius on McDermott’s part.

Watford on the other hand look likely to struggle this season. Dyce is very inexperienced and his signings have yet to impress. If it wasn’t for a last minute equaliser against Birmingham last time out then they would have been faced with the prospect of going into this match in second bottom place.

The home side look very attractive at the prices and with Le Fondre set to make his debut I can see them taking all three points tomorrow afternoon.

My Selection: Reading to beat Watford

Best odds available: 4/5 available with Betfred

English League One

Huddersfield v Tranmere Rovers
Huddersfield remain unbeaten but will face a tough test as Tranmere, who sit above them in the table, come visiting in search of extending their good run with their fourth victory of the season.

Having tipped up the Terriers in last week’s previews, they let readers (and myself) down as they could only manage a draw with rivals Oldham. Only the bar denied Alan Lee from helping Huddersfield to all three points but as it was, they settled for keeping their unbeaten record in tact. They will be looking to get back to winning ways tomorrow however as they cannot afford to keep drawing matches if they wish to pursue automatic promotion. With MK Dons and Sheffield United flying high at the top, Lee Clark will be aware that his side must be more ruthless infront of goal, especially on their travels. Their home record his strong, and has been for a while. Two wins and a draw from their first three matches, it already looks ominous for visiting opponents who will find it difficult to take anything from the Galpharm Stadium.

Tranmere have surprised many with their start to the season after a few seasons at the other end of the table. Les Parry, formerly the club’s physio, has worked wonders on such a limited budget. From their first six matches they have won three and drawn two, their only defeat was against Notts County in a five goal thriller, losing out by the odd goal. They have secured two wins on the road, however, both down in London with Brentford and Leyton Orient losing out respectively. They are a team very much built from the back as they have scored just seven goals from their half dozen league games. Tomorrow will arguably be their biggest test as Huddersfield have been in the promotion shake-up the last couple of years so Parry will be able to see how far his side have come in recent weeks.

Tranmere are packed full of experience from the back four right through to the strikers. They do, however, have a very small squad so getting points early may well prove vital come the end of the season. As much as these sides are only seperated by a point, I believe Huddersfield, especially at home, are much better equipped to mount a serious charge for promotion and sustaining their good early season form. Having scored seven already at home, I’m banking on the Yorkshire side to get the better of tomorrow’s opponents.

My Selection: Huddersfield to beat Tranmere

Best odds available: 3/4 available with William Hill

The Club:
Really like the atmosphere which is being created at the Stadium of Light, and manager Steve Bruce is being backed by the board to take the club forward. They are one of the more progressive teams from the Premier League, and they are not happy with middle of the table, and with an influx of signings, they could leave the transfer-limited likes of Everton and Stoke behind as the Black Cats race forward. This should be a good, positive season ahead, as all the signs from the summer look to injecting further new life into a side which did pretty well last season. They certainly created enough to build a future upon, and that is what they are doing at the moment.  Everything seems in a pretty decent harmony at the Stadium of Light, will it really all fall into place and the players fulfil the board’s ambitions on the pitch?

Players/Manager:
There is going to be a good look about Sunderland this season, as boss Steve Bruce has been on a shopping spree. The former Manchester United star has raided his former club by taking the defensive duo of John O’Shea and Wes Brown from Old Trafford. They are just the tip of the iceberg for the Black Cats, who really look determined to charge forward. First of all, let’s take a look at the manager, Steve Bruce. He has done a fairly solid job at Sunderland, and has gone through ups and downs. He has made them a tough side to beat at times, but at times they have also thrown points away. But Bruce at least knows what direction he wants to take the side in, and he is definitely looking forward. The addition of O’Shea and Brown will only strengthen what Sunderland have in defence, but they also need to find more goals than last season. They of course let England striker Darren Bent go to Aston Villa, leaving goal scoring duties to Asamoah Gyan. In the midfield, Steve Bruce has also brought in Craig Gardner, Seb Larsson and David Vaughn so there is plenty of competition at the back an in the middle for the Black Cats. Sunderland are definitely looking a positive club, and they want more than their top ten finish last season. They have lost Jordan Henderson to Liverpool (who will face his old club on the opening day), and as new players come in, some will exit, with Marcos Angeleri, Steed Malbranque and George McCartney looking very likely to be leaving. There is big competition for places at Sunderland now, and the Stadium of Light faithful appear to have a lot to look forward to. There is also whispers of Sunderland looking to take Shaun Wright-Phillips from Manchester City as well.

Last Season: 10th
A solid finish for the Black Cats, who were patchy at times. But they had enough in the tank, to many people’s surprise to land a top ten finish. The goals just weren’t there to propel them any higher and that really needs to be sorted out. If they find more goals and their defence really is going to be improved, then they should be able to improve on this. Last season was definitely an improvement from the one before, and they will look to keep than momentum going.

2011/12 Projection:
Sunderland look as if they are building a pretty solid side. The experience the Manchester United duo of Wes Brown and John O’Shea will be valuable to the Black Cats, and were decent acquisitions for a mid table team. There really is potential for Sunderland to fulfil their ambition of landing in the top six, if the new squad gels together quickly, and they don’t suffer their blips of lack of concentration. There are still inconsistency issues to work out, and if they can land a big name striker as well, then Sunderland would look in really strong shape. As for now, they seem to be shaping up quite well, and they may well be worth a bet on finishing inside the top six. They are not resting on their laurels that is for sure, and seem to be one of the more active teams in aggressively changing their set up to chase success. It is just the kind of attitude that may seem them break through from the very closely matched clutch of teams which are expected to be around the middle of the table come the end of the season. Ahead of the new season, they look tougher and more solid, and reports are that the new side is coming together very well. Bruce now has plenty of strength and options from the bench, and this should be a pretty good season for them. We will expect them to be in the top half of the table come the end of the season. Could also make a great bet for a domestic cup. Great opening fixture at Anfield, which will really test their mettle.

Finishing Position: Top Half of Table

Premier League Top Ten Odds:
Evens at Bet365

First Three Fixtures
August 13th: Liverpool v Sunderland
August 20th: Sunderland v Newcastle
August 27th: Swansea v Sunderland

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