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Sunderland will entertain Hull City at the Stadium of Light in the EFL Championship on Friday.
The hosts saw their three-game unbeaten run in the league come to an end last week, as they fell to a 2-1 away loss at Ipswich Town. Jack Clarke continued his fine form and opened the scoring in the 26th minute to give Sunderland the lead.
They were unable to build on the good start and gave away the lead seven minutes later. Conor Chaplin scored in the 75th minute to help Ipswich to their first league win in six games.
The visitors have endured a poor start to 2024 and are winless in four games across all competitions thus far. Last week, they lost 2-1 at home to Norwich City, with Tyler Morton scoring the consolation goal after Hull had conceded twice.
They met Birmingham City in the FA Cup third-round replay, suffering a 2-1 loss as they gave away the lead after Jason Lokilo had opened the scoring in the 12th minute of the match.
Sunderland vs Hull City Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have locked horns 49 times across all competitions thus far. The hosts have the upper hand in the head-to-head record with 23 wins to their name. Hull have 15 wins to their name and 11 games have ended in draws.
- Sunderland registered a 1-0 away win in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day and will look to secure a league double with a home win.
- Hull City have just one win in their last 11 meetings against the hosts, with that win coming on penalties in the Carabao Cup in September 2020.
- The visitors have lost three of their last four away games in the Championship, conceding nine goals in that period.
Sunderland vs Hull City Prediction
The Black Cats have suffered back-to-back losses in their last two games, scoring just once while conceding five times, and will be gunning to bounce back with a win. They have won five of their last seven home games in the Championship and will look to make the most of their home advantage here.
Head coach Michael Beale remains without the services of Patrick Roberts, Bradley Dack, Dennis Cirkin, and Niall Huggins through injuries. Aji Alese withdrew during training earlier this week and is a doubt.
The Tigers have seen a drop in form recently, with just one win in their last seven games in all competitions, losing five games in that period. Interestingly, they are winless in their last three away meetings against the home team, with two games ending in draws.
Manager Liam Rosenior remains without the services of Jaden Philogene with an injury while Liam Delap is also set to be sidelined for at least three months with a knee issue.
Cyrus Christie and Ryan Allsop were absent against Birmingham in the FA Cup and face late fitness tests. Adama Traoré and Jean Michaël Seri are on international duty at the 2023 AFCON.
Both teams have lost two games in a row, which is a cause for concern. Interestingly, four of their last five games have ended in draws, and considering their current form, another low-scoring draw seems to be on the cards.
Prediction: Sunderland 1-1 Hull City
Sunderland vs Hull City Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Draw
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Under 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Jack Clarke to score or assist any time - Yes
