The latest Sunderland news, via Lucy Scothern.

Sunderland play Crystal Palace this Saturday at the Stadium of Light in what has shaped up to be an important fixture for both mid-table teams, currently sitting 10th and 13th in the table respectively.

When the sides last met at Selhurst park, Sunderland walked away with a point after a goalless draw.

Entering match week 22, Regis Le Bris’ side still remain undefeated at home, a record that continues to prop up Sunderland’s 29 point mid-table position despite a recent run of winless games. While results away from Wearside have been harder to come by, the Stadium of Light has remained a fortress for the Black Cats, recording a 50/50 win draw rate from home games. With a home average of 1.6 goals per match compared to just 0.45 away, the Eagles face a tough challenge on the road.

Oliver Glasner and his men will no doubt be keen to move on since their shock FA Cup defeat to Macclesfield Town last weekend. The National League North side defeated the reigning FA Cup champions 2-1 at home, the 117 league places that separate the two in the English football pyramid being the biggest margin ever overcome by a lower-placed club in FA Cup history. To further dampen morale, Glasner’s side are also coming off a winless last five Premier League games with three losses and two draws.

Despite recent struggles, Palace still possess a threat, with several players capable of causing Sunderland problems if given space and time. Adam Wharton has been a key player for the Eagles, with the midfielder’s two assists and an 80% pass completion rate strengthening the depth of Palace’s outfield play.

Wharton has won 88 duels and completed 45 tackles so far this season, proving his ability to be a flexible player in both defence and in supporting offensive play. Although he was controversially omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup qualifiers England squad in October, many believe him to be of standard for national team selection–a factor Sunderland’s midfield will have to prepare for come matchday.

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Meanwhile, the main attacking threat comes in the form of forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, their top goalscorer this season with eight goals in 21 of his appearances this season. The Frenchman has an xG of 11.21, with the ability to produce game changing performances, as reflected by his hat-trick against Bournemouth back in October. Mateta’s success from the penalty spot accounts for three of his eight goals, meaning strictly smart challenges in the 18 yard box from Sunderland’s defence will be conducive to avoiding the forward from gaining his fourth successful penalty of the season.

On the subject of penalties, Sunderland’s Robin Roeffs put on a fantastic display in their recent FA Cup third round shootout win against Everton, where he saved 3/3 of the Toffees’ penalty attempts. The Dutchman has been invaluable to Le Bris’ side so far with seven clean sheets and a 76.8% save percentage - a current league topping figure.

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To counter Palace’s midfield, captain Granit Xhaka and AFCON returnee Noah Sadiki have the ability to make Wharton’s life difficult if they continue to apply pressure and restrict his ability to complete long attacking passes. After a superb volley at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Enzo Le Fee seems to have regained his confidence since his Panenka penalty failure against Brentford. With three goals across all competitions to his name, the French midfielder has an 80% pass completion, matching that of Wharton - and 82 duels won.

With both teams searching for their first win in five, and Sunderland looking to uphold their undefeated home record, Saturday is sure to bring about an intense mid-table match-up.

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