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The Stadium of Light plays host to the first EFL Championship fixture of 2024 when Sunderland and Preston North End go head-to-head on Monday.
The Black Cats will head into the game looking to get one over Ryan Lowe’s men, having suffered a 2-1 defeat in August's reverse fixture.
Despite their disappointing display, there were some positives to take away from Sunderland’s last game of the year as the Black Cats fought back from behind to claim a 1-1 draw against rock-bottom Rotherham United.
This followed a 1-0 Boxing Day victory over Hull City at the MKM Stadium which saw their run of two consecutive defeats come to an end.
With 37 points from 25 matches, Sunderland are currently seventh in the EFL Championship table, two points behind sixth-placed Hull in the final promotion playoff spot.
Preston North End, on the other hand, suffered a somewhat disappointing 1-0 home defeat at the hands of 10-man Sheffield Wednesday on Friday.
Prior to that, Lowe’s men snapped their two-match losing streak on Boxing Day courtesy of a 2-1 victory over Leeds United.
With 35 points from 25 matches, Preston North End are currently 11th in the league standings, level on points with 10th-placed Watford.
Sunderland vs Preston North End Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- With 54 wins from the last 123 meetings between the two long-time rivals, Sunderland boast a superior record in the history of this fixture.
- Preston North End have picked up 35 wins since their first meeting in February 1891, while the spoils have been shared on 34 occasions.
- Preston are unbeaten in eight of their last nine games against Michael Beale’s men, claiming six wins and two draws since January 2005.
- The Black Cats have won just one of their last four matches while losing twice and claiming one draw in that time.
- Preston have picked up just two wins in their last nine outings while losing six and claiming one draw since mid-November.
Sunderland vs Preston North End Prediction
Looking at past results between Sunderland and Preston, we anticipate another thrilling contest at the Stadium of Light.
Both sides head into the new year in similar form and we predict they will cancel out each other's efforts.
Prediction: Sunderland 1-1 Preston North End
Sunderland vs Preston North End Betting Tips
Tip 1: Draw
Tip 2: Both sides to score - Yes (Both sides have scored in four of Preston’s last six matches)
Tip 3: Over 4.5 cards - No (There have been fewer than five bookings in the last seven meetings between the teams)
