Sunderland vs Fulham – News and Probable Lineups

In an effort to secure their first Premier League victory against Fulham at the Stadium of Light since 2009, Sunderland welcomes their London opponents for the 27th round this Sunday.

However, Regis Le Bris’s squad has recently experienced a home defeat, losing 1-0 to Liverpool after an impressive 12-match unbeaten run, as they now confront a club from the capital facing a three-match losing streak.

Match overview

Sunderland’s return to this season’s Premier League after an eight-year hiatus appears to be solidifying their position in the top division; yet, the Mackems won’t be able to mark this campaign as unbeaten on Wearside.

After avoiding defeat in 12 home matches at the Stadium of Light, with seven victories during that stretch, Liverpool finally bested Le Bris’s squad on February 11.

This 1-0 defeat came after a 3-0 loss to Arsenal in London, marking the first instance in which the newly promoted team has faced back-to-back defeats since their return, leaving them at 11th place in the rankings, just one position and two points above this weekend’s opponents.

Although they boast the fifth-best home performance this season, accruing 26 points from a potential 39, the historical disadvantage against Fulham in this fixture might not instill great confidence among fans ahead of Sunday’s match.

Despite Sunderland managing to overcome the Cottagers in their last league clash on Wearside—a narrow 1-0 win in the Championship nine years ago—they have struggled in their last five top-flight encounters since January 2009.

Since their last win over their West London rivals 17 years ago, the Black Cats have faced two defeats and drawn three times when Fulham visits Wearside, notably failing to score in four of those encounters.

While this Sunday marks the first Premier League meeting at the Stadium of Light since 2013, when the Cottagers edged the Black Cats 1-0, traveling supporters will recall the positive trend their side has enjoyed in this matchup recently.

Unbeaten in their last four encounters, with three victories to their name, Marco Silva’s team now seeks to secure a fourth win in the last five fixtures against Sunderland.

Nonetheless, a concerning drop-off in performances and results could be detrimental for the visitors, who arrive at the Stadium of Light with the aim to achieve a double over their hosts for the first time since the 2002-03 season.

Silva’s squad has suffered three consecutive losses against Manchester United (3-2), Everton (2-1), and Manchester City (3-0), tallying four defeats in their last five outings, highlighting a significant decline since mid-January.

Therefore, the question remains whether the out-of-form London team will capitalize on their hosts’ weaknesses, who have also faced four defeats in their last six matches, matching the total losses they incurred in the first 20 gameweeks.

Considering the Cottagers’ ongoing four-match winless streak away from home in the top flight, which includes three straight losses, the outcome of Sunday’s fixture on Wearside is uncertain.

Team News

While the return of Granit Xhaka is a boost for the Black Cats—Sunderland managed only one win in the four matches without their captain—there’s a chance the Swiss midfielder may not be risked from the outset this weekend.

Le Bris has confirmed that Bertrand Traore’s knee injury will prevent the Burkina Faso international from playing for at least another week, and Reinildo Mandava is also sidelined for another month with a similar issue.

Despite Xhaka leading the team with five assists, Sunderland can also count on Enzo Le Fee for creativity, as the midfielder has provided four assists, tying with Nordi Mukiele.

Five-goal forward Brian Brobbey is another key player for the hosts, having scored two match-winning goals and hoping to make an impact on Sunday.

In terms of game-winning goals, no player for Sunderland has equaled Harry Wilson’s five, with those decisive goals arising from eight total efforts.

Samuel Chukwueze and Raul Jimenez have also been vital for the Cottagers, with Chukwueze producing a goal or assist every 91 minutes—among those with over 500 minutes played, bettered only by Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (77 minutes)—while Jimenez looks to build on three match-winning goals, totaling six overall.

In the previous encounter at Craven Cottage in November, Jimenez was responsible for scoring the only goal, and he now seeks to net against the same opponent in both fixtures for the second time in Fulham’s history following last season’s performance against Newcastle United.

While Silva has a largely fit squad for Sunday, Sasa Lukic (thigh) and Tom Cairney (calf) are anticipated to miss out for the West London team in round 27.

Sunderland probable starting XI:

Roefs; Mukiel, Ballard, Gertrude, Circin; Diarra, Saddick, and Fee; Hume, Brobbey, Angulo

Fulham probable starting XI:

Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon; Iwobi, Berge; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Chukwueze; Jimenez

Following Liverpool’s end to Sunderland’s impressive unbeaten home record, the Black Cats will strive to demonstrate that the Stadium of Light continues to be a challenging venue.

With Xhaka returning in some capacity to motivate the Black Cats, the home side is expected to overcome a Fulham team that has struggled, failing to win any of their last four away league matches before this weekend, suffering three straight defeats in that period.