1 hour ago
7
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
24 mins: Edwards is fouled by Mukiele, although the replays show he got the ball. Burnley have a free-kick around 40 yards out, which Lucas Pires will take. It is a complete shambles and Paul Tierney awards a free-kick to Sunderland for something or other.
22 mins: Burnley are having a decent amount of the ball but lack the dynamism in possession to break the lines, so keep going backwards.
20 mins: The two times I’ve seen Sunderland in the flesh this season, they’ve been ruddy awful, losing at Burnley and Manchester United. They must be pleased I do not get see them much.
Brobbey easily holds off Esteve and spins him to create an attack. A touch night for the young Frenchman in the heart of the Burnley defence.
18 mins: Le Fee clips a cross towards the penalty spot and Talbi is there to attack it but he can’t make good enough contact on the volley.
16 mins: The Burnley centre-backs do not look to fancy facing Brobbey tonight. He is about twice the size as Esteve, to be fair.
Burnley have a chance to go through but Foster’s pass is awful, allowing Ballard to beat Anthony to it.
14 mins: Sunderland have a free0kick on the right, which is swung into the box. Esteve wins the first header bu the danger does not disappear. The ball eventually comes to Mukiele but his shot is beyond wild.
12 mins: As someone who watches a lot of Burnley, I spend much of that time debating who will be in the Premier League next season. Esteve, Walker, Florentino and Ugochukwu is my general answer from this starting XI.
GOAL! Brobbey uses his physicality to hold off the defender and play the ball straight back to Diarra. He dribbles into the box and shoots, hitting Ugochukwu on the way, leaving Dubravka stranded.
GOAL! Sunderland 1-0 Burnley (Diarra, 9)
It is a deflected finish but few inside the Stadium of Light are complaining.
8 mins: Burnley are knocking it around nicely but without causing any threat. They have put together around 30 passes. It ends with Edwards chipping a cross straight to Roefs.
6 mins: Burnley are yet to find their rhythm while Sunderland are starting to settle into theirs.
Sunderland’s Simon Adringa has completed his loan move to Monaco.
4 mins: Foster bizarrely controls the ball with his hand, giving Sunderland a free-kick around 35 yards from the Burnley goal. The ball goes into the box but Burnley managed to scramble it away.
2 mins: Burnley are in their light blue away kit, Sunderland a more traditional red and white stripes.
A few early boos for ex-Newcastle Dubravka. The ball seems to be running a touch slowly on the turf.
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
Here come the teams …
Sunderland are still unbeaten at home in the Premier League this season. They might be missing Granit Xhaka but you must think they will fancy their chances tonight.
Regis Le Bris: “We need to balance our squad. We have to find adaptations, we have different setups available and I hope this one will work well.
“Step by step, today will be a tough challenge. The connection with the crowd is really important. We feel the responsibility.”
One key issue this season for Burnley has been the creation and finishing of chances. Parker has backed Foster today, having scored last weekend against Tottenham. The South African has not looked convincing as a Premier League striker and his three goals in 16 appearances this season has done nothing to change minds.
Pre-match reading.
Ward-Prowse on the bench of the Burnley. Ugochukwu and Florentino Luis are a decent pair, to be fair.
I covered the reverse of this fixture back in August. Burnley won 2-0 against a dreadful Sunderland side and I thought the Black Cats’ opening day win over West Ham was a flash in the pan. Always good to be reminded how wrong I generally am.
Get your deadline fill with John Brewin.
Starting lineups
Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo; Diarra, Sadiki; Hume, Le Fee, Talbi; Brobbey.
Subs: Moore, Cirkin, O’Nien, Geertruida, Rigg, Mundle, Isidor, Mayenda, Jen Jones
Burnley (5-2-2-1): Dúbravka; Walker, Tuanzebe, Estève, Humphreys, Lucas Pires; Ugochukwu, Florentino; Edwards, Anthony; Foster.
Subs: Weiss, Worrall, Bruun Larsen, Tchaouna, Flemming, Ward-Prowse, Broja, Hannibal, Broja
Preamble
After a joyous day of transfer chitter chatter, we get some actual football to finish it. Sunderland are sat in mid-table on 33 points and rapidly closing on the magical 40 mark. Few at the start of the season will have anticipating their smooth adaptation to the Premier League but smart recruitment and brilliant coaching has almost-certainly guaranteed them a second season at the top table.
The same, however, cannot be said of Burnley who are 11 points adrift of safety and in desperate need of putting a run of results together. They have not won in 14 Premier League games and a facing a swift return to the Championship. Scott Parker regularly stresses the “fine margins” in their defeats, which is fair because they are rarely thumped, but the truth of the matter is they are the second worst team in the league at the moment. Their squad just lacks the cutting edge required to get Burnley over the line in tight matches.
Let’s hope for a cracker.
Kick-off: 8pm GMT
