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Sunderland v Stoke
By Andy Newton
Last updated: 09:34 Monday, February 1, 2010
**BEST BET – DRAW @ 12/5**
Two out of form sides go head to head at the Stadium of Light as both Sunderland and Stoke City look to drag themselves closer to mid-table.
The Black Cats are on a shocking run – no side has taken fewer than their 2 points from the last 6 league games – while a 9 match winless run has moved them to the cusp of a relegation fight. The continued absence of Lee Cattermole is a huge factor in this – the combative midfielder injured his hamstring again in the 2-0 defeat at Everton on Wednesday – while only Bolton have kept fewer clean sheets than Steve Bruce’s side (just 3 in 22 games). At the other end, Bruce admitted last week that he is far too reliant on Darren Bent – who has scored almost half of Sunderland’s Premier League goals this season – and the England striker has notched 4 of the club’s last 5 league strikes. If there is a silver lining, however, it is that only Aston Villa and Chelsea have won at the Stadium of Light this season and their home form should provide enough points to see them into mid-table by May.
Stoke have only won 1 of their last 8 league games and the Potters’ woeful away form is well documented – of 29 road games in the Premier League since their promotion, they have won just 3. Scoring goals away from the Britannia has proven nigh-on impossible – just 4 in 10 games – and they haven’t done so since going to Hull City way back on November 8th. Despite this, Robert Huth, Abdoulaye Faye and Ryan Shawcorss have formed a formidable defence which has only conceded 13 away goals – fewer than the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool. No wonder, then, that Stoke’s away games average just 1.7 goals per match this season.
Sunderland look about right at 11/10 in the match odds and given their recent troubles, coupled with Stoke’s resilience, the draw at 12/5 looks the better value. A correct score of 0-0 at 9/1 isn’t out of the equation, either.
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