da apostaganha： Sunderland host Stoke on Saturday knowing a win could drag them out of the relegation zone and give them a huge boost in their battle to beat the drop.
da dobrowin： The Black Cats sit just one point behind 17th-place Crystal Palace and need to pick up as many wins as possible at home between now and the end of the season.
Stoke City are in a much more comfortable position, currently on 24 points and threatening to break into the top half of the table.
It’ll likely be a keenly contested affair at the Stadium of Light, both teams are coming into the game off the back of good results in the English Premier League. Sunderland picked up a 2-2 draw vs. Liverpool last time out while Stoke earned three points in a 2-0 win at home to Watford.
Which team can come out on top here? Here are three must-know stats ahead of the encounter…
There’s no-one like Defoe
Nobody in the bottom half of the table has a player scoring as many goals as Jermain Defoe is. He’s banged in 11 Premier League goals this season, just three behind Diego Costa, often winning points for the Black Cats on his own.
Sunderland’s next top scorer in the league only has three goals, showing how much they rely on him. Over half of their goals this season have come through the 34-year-old.
If Stoke can keep him quiet it would go a long way to victory but in this form, is there a defence in the land that can be confident of stopping him scoring?
Stoke are shaky away from home
Stoke have conceded at least three goals in four of their ten away matches in the English Premier League. It’s something that’s happened in their last three away in the league and it’s starting to become something of a trend.
Their defence has become used to heavy away defeats and it’s something they’ll need to address unless they want to endure a long afternoon at the Stadium of Light.
If they concede one on Saturday against the Black Cats, they’re liable to collapse, as we saw earlier in the season when they travelled to Selhurst Park and suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace.
The fortress of light
Sunderland have a fantastic record against Stoke at the Stadium of Light. It’s become something of a fortress when Stoke come calling.
The Black Cats have lost only one of their last twelve against the Potters at home. That defeat came in the League Cup too, meaning Sunderland are barely troubled by Stoke in the Premier League here. They’ve also won their last three encounters at home against Saturday’s visitors.
The last match between the two teams on Wearside ended in a 2-0 win for home side thanks to goals from Patrick van Aanholt and Duncan Watmore in the 82nd and 84th minute. Even if the home fans have to stay patient, Moyes’ men will likely get the job done.