No winner in the clash of the newcomers?
The home side’s form has been on the decline recently, with two of their last three Premier League games ending in defeat.
Previously, the Black Cats had been playing very strongly, with seven wins in 13 PL games (7-4-2). The downturn in form was also evident on the last matchday, when the club from the northeast of the country lost 3-1 at West Ham.
However, the Sunderland players are now counting on the fact that they have not lost two league games in a row this season! A feat that only Arsenal, Brighton, and Manchester United have achieved this season.
In addition, Burnley are also not in good form: Coach Scott Parker’s team have been waiting for a win in the Premier League for 14 games (0-5-9)! In their history in the top flight, the Clarets have only had a longer run without a win (19) from February 1889 to February 1890.
Given this situation, we are predicting a draw in the match between Sunderland and Burnley. We also expect Brian Brobbey to score. The striker has scored three goals in his last four league appearances and has the best minutes-per-goal ratio for the hosts this season (one goal every 175 minutes).
It is the fifth-best ratio for a Sunderland player in a season (750+ minutes played) and the best since Jermain Defoe in the 2015/16 season (15 goals – one every 170 minutes). The odds on the home side scoring after the break could also be worthwhile in the match between Sunderland and Burnley.
Coach Régis Le Bris’s team has scored 17 of its 24 goals this season in the second half, giving it a 71 percent share, the highest in the Premier League this season! This prediction is supported by the visitors’ chronically shaky defense after the break: only three teams in the league concede more goals in the second half!
Sunderland – Burnley Head-to-head record
Sunderland have lost only one of their last twelve home games against Burnley (8-3-1). The visitors, meanwhile, are looking to win both league games against Sunderland for the first time since the 1972/73 season after a 2-0 win in the first half of the season. However, the bookmakers consider the chances of this happening to be slim.
Instead, the betting odds point to a home win in the clash between Sunderland and Burnley.
Sunderland – Burnley Tip
Sunderland is the only team in the PL that has not lost a home game this season. With this record, AFC is following in the footsteps of Birmingham City, which is the only promoted team to have achieved a longer unbeaten home streak in a Premier League season.
The Blues remained unbeaten in 15 home games in the 2009/10 season. Sunderland, on the other hand, has won just over half (6) of its eleven games at the Stadium of Light, with the rest ending in draws. In our opinion, the next game is likely to end in another draw.
Even though there is a whopping 18-point difference in the table between the promoted teams in favor of the home side, they currently appear to be evenly matched in their respective inconsistent form, which is why we expect a balanced match between two evenly matched teams.
This course of play is currently almost the norm for the visitors: Since matchday 17, the Clarets have recorded the most draws of any team (5 in 7 games) and could draw four consecutive games in the top flight for the first time since January 1971. It should be noted that the last three draws were against top teams Tottenham, Liverpool, and Manchester United!
