Sunderland vs Bristol City prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-02-17 15:00.
Sunderland’s Championship play-off push continues to gather pace after Anthony Patterson saved a second-half penalty to help them win 3-0 over QPR on Tuesday night. Manager Tony Mowbray called Patterson’s performance “amazing” as he kept a third clean sheet in four league matches (W3, D1), and that defensive solidity has helped the Black Cats spring into the top six.
Mowbray also paid tribute to the club’s fans after they sold out their ticket allocation in London, so the Stadium of Light, where Sunderland have won three of their last four Championship games (L1), should be bouncing again. Although this fixture against Bristol City was first played in 1899, there’s been only one meeting here this century and the hosts will be hoping to avoid a repeat of a 2-1 home league defeat in 2017.
The Robins may prove wiley visitors once again after going ten games unbeaten in all competitions (W5, D5), though they were disappointed to draw 1-1 with struggling Wigan Athletic in midweek, missing the chance to move closer to the top half of the table. “We’ve dropped two points tonight,” said manager Nigel Pearson, who’s only ever lost one managerial H2H against Mowbray (W4, D5).
Pearson, who’s been involved as a player and a coach at Sunderland’s chief rivals Middlesbrough and Newcastle United respectively, can be quietly confident of extending that record as he’s recently guided the Robins to five league away games without defeat (W2, D3), their longest such run since October 2019. Fasten your seatbelts for some potential early drama though, as four of those games witnessed scoring inside the opening 15 minutes!
Key battle: Sunderland stopper Patterson is yet to be beaten from the penalty spot this season (three faced), and his ten Championship clean sheets this term suggests he may be a tough test for Mark Sykes, who’s opened the scoring in two of Bristol City’s last three games.
Hot stat: Prior to the round, only two clubs had conceded more than Bristol City’s 12 Championship goals from set pieces this term.