Premiership
Sunderland (7th) v Everton (15th)
Monday 22nd November 2010 – 8pm
Sunderland, fresh from dishing out an unexpected 3-0 win at Chelsea last weekend, will be looking for another victory over The Blues, this time from Everton when these two sides meet at the Stadium of Light on Monday evening.
Manager Steve Bruce masterminded three points at Stamford Bridge, and will be up against tough opposition again this time around against his counterpart David Moyes. The Black Cats have now strung together a six match unbeaten run at home which includes impressive wins over Manchester City 1-0, Aston Villa 1-0 and Stoke City 2-0, while drawing against Birmingham City 2-2, Arsenal 1-1 and Manchester United 0-0.
Sunderland’s rise up the table is thanks to strikers Darren Bent (6 goals) and Asamoah Gyan (5 goals) who filled Bent’s absence perfectly when his fellow striker was injured. Indeed, Gyan has scored four goals in his last three matches. Bent is targeting a return for this match but may have to start on the bench. Their solid defence has also made a major contribution, conceding just one goal in their last five home matches.
Sunderland’s home record stands at 3-3-0 7/3, and are alongside Chelsea with conceding the least amount of goals at home.
Their opponents tonight, Everton, have also put together a four match unbeaten run away from home consisting of one win (2-0 at Birmingham City) and three draws (0-0 at Fulham, 1-1 at Tottenham Hotspur & 2-2 at Blackpool).
The Toffees’ away record stands at 1-3-2 5/5 and manager Moyes has voiced his concerns at the lack of goals from his strikers – only Liverpool, Wigan Athletic and West Ham (all 4 goals) have scored fewer goals than them on the road.
Attacking midfielder Tim Cahill (6 goals) is the dangerman and a very grave threat at set-pieces. One cannot ignore also midfielder Mikel Arteta (2 goals) who has had a quiet season by his standards so far, but possesses that killer pass or moment of magic that can turn a match on it’s head in a flash.
The Verdict: I feel that both of these sides are evenly matched, and with Bent probably starting on the bench, it provides an angle to make a bit of value here.
Main Pick: Draw @ 3.32 with Pinnacle Sports
Side Bet: Asamoah Gyan to score anytime @ 2.62 with bet365 and extend his scoring streak.
