Match Preview: Sunderland v Norwich City - all you need to know ahead of kick-off!
Today at 01:00 AM
HO HO HO! It's the home game before Christmas... let's hope the Lads get a result as we entertain Norwich City - here's all you need to know ahead of kick off!
Saturday 21st December 2024
(4th) Sunderland v Norwich City (12th)
Championship
Stadium of Light
Kick-Off: 15:00
Tickets & Match Coverage
Tickets: Tickets are available via www.safc.com.
TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available via www.safc.com.
Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online)
Don't forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker Report Twitter feed (@RokerReport) and check out the player ratings after the full-time whistle at www.RokerReport.com!
The build-up...
After taking five points from six games, we've gone and taken seven from the last three, and it felt especially good to take maximum points after being two down. It's arguably the first time since taking three points at Luton Town that we have managed to step it up when we maybe weren't expecting it and take a win.
It was a game of two halves where we saw both sides of this Sunderland team, and ahead of any fixture it's a question of which one will turn up and for how long. The inconsistency at home is more around breaking sides down recently, as we go into today's fixture still unbeaten at home, but winning only one of the last four.
As for our home record against Norwich, well, it's not great... our victory in our previous fixture back in October 2023 is our only win in the last six attempts at the Stadium of Light.
Once again I realise how little notice I take of what other Championship clubs are doing when I saw that Norwich parted company with David Wagner following the defeat to Leeds United in the play-off semi-final last May.
Seems like an odd decision, especially when they replaced him with 35-year-old Johannes Hoff Thorup, who had only been manager of Danish Superliga side FC Nordsjælland since January 2023.
While I'm at this, since when did coaches seemingly get younger and younger?! Or am I getting older? Aye, well whatever, they should appoint older managers/coaches to make me feel better...
Anyhow... it's been a slow start for the young Danish fella, as you would imagine that the club has aspirations of making the playoffs having been there last year and only being the third season outside of the Premier League.
In terms of form, it's been a strange season so far where the Canaries lost just two of their first 12, but lost five of the nine fixtures after that. They haven't won in their last seven away games and have to go back to late September when they last won on the road.
All-in-all Norwich have claimed three points in two of their 11 games away from Carrow Road so far, and although only two sides have scored fewer away goals, only Burnley have conceded less.
The betting...
The bookies have the Lads down as favourites at 4/5, while an away win is priced at around 14/5 and the draw is 13/5.
Head to head... at Sunderland
(All competitions)
- Sunderland wins: 13
- Draws: 8
- Norwich City wins: 11
- Sunderland goals: 44
- Norwich City goals: 33
Last time we met... at the Stadium of Light
Saturday 28th October 2023
Championship
Sunderland 3-1 Norwich City
[Hume 37', Neil 45', Clarke (pen) 80' - Hwang 23']
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, O'Nien, Ballard, Huggins (Cirkin), Ekwah (Rigg), Neil, Roberts (Ba), Bellingham (Pritchard), Clarke, Rusyn (Hemir) Substitutes not used: Bishop, Seelt, Dack, Burstow
Norwich City: Long, Fisher (Stacey), Giannoulis, McLean, Duffy, Gibson (Idah), Fassnacht (Hernande), Sara, Hwang, Forshaw (Nunez), Rowe (Sainz) Substitutes not used: Ansen, Batth, Gibbs, Placheta
Attendance: 39,871
Played for both...
Gary Rowell
After ten years at Sunderland, Rowell was released by Len Ashurst as part of a rebuild, joining Norwich City in the summer of 1984.
Unfortunately, Rowell picked up a knee injury in a pre-season tour, which limited him to just six appearances for the Canaries. Spells at Middlesbrough, Brighton and Burnley followed, but in the six seasons from leaving Roker in 1984 to retiring in 1990, he made only 72 appearances.
