Preview: Sunderland vs Bournemouth - prediction, team news, lineups

Level on points in the top half of the Premier League table, Sunderland and Bournemouth do battle at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon.

This fixture represents the first league meeting between the two teams since April 2017 when the Cherries claimed a 1-0 away win to confirm the Black Cats’ relegation from the top flight.

Match preview

Sunderland were unable to extend their unbeaten Premier League run to five matches after they suffered a slender 1-0 away defeat to bottom-half side Fulham last weekend – just their third defeat in 12 matches since securing promotion.

The blunt Black Cats lacked creativity in the final third and survived 17 shots on their goal before Raul Jimenez netted the decisive strike just six minutes from time. Head coach Regis Le Bris has insisted that his team are still "on their journey" in the top flight and will learn from the setback at Craven Cottage.

Sunderland have now lost 299 of their 620 Premier League matches, and defeat against Bournemouth this weekend would see them become the ninth club to suffer 300 defeats in the division. It would also be the fewest games to 300 losses - currently held by Fulham (682).

Sitting in a respectable seventh place in the table and only three points behind Manchester City in third, Sunderland are one of just three teams (along with Arsenal and City) who are yet to concede more than twice in a PL games this season. Black Cats goalkeeper Robin Roefs boasts the highest save percentage of any shot-stopper in the division this term (79.3%).

Le Bris’s men will welcome Saturday’s return to the Stadium of Light where they are unbeaten in six Premier League games (W3 D3), most recently drawing 2-2 with leaders Arsenal. They have collected just two fewer points (12) than they did at home in the whole of their last campaign in the top flight in 2016-17 (14 in 19 matches).

Since enjoying an eight-game unbeaten run in the Premier League between the end of August and end of October (W5 D3), Bournemouth have failed to win any of their last three matches, with back-to-back losses to Man City (3-1) and Aston Villa (4-0) followed by a 2-2 home draw with West Ham last weekend.

The Cherries were on course to lose a third league game in a row, as they were trailing the Hammers by two goals heading into the final 25 minutes. However, Marcus Tavernier’s penalty and an 81st-minute equaliser from substitute Enes Unal rescued a point for the hosts, who had 18 shots more than the visitors and boasted 76% possession.

Head coach Andoni Iraola, who sees his Bournemouth side sitting eighth in the table and just behind Sunderland on goal difference, felt that his team “deserved more” against West Ham following a strong second-half display, but their first-half “mistakes” ultimately proved costly.

While Bournemouth have the joint-third best home record in the Premier League this season (W4 D2 L0), they head into Saturday’s clash with Sunderland having lost four of their last seven top-flight away games (W1 D2), as many as in their previous 18 on the road (W7 D7) - not since November 2023 have they suffered three away losses on the bounce.

Bournemouth will at least take comfort from the fact that they have picked up seven points across their previous four Premier League meetings with Sunderland (W2 D1 L1) and they will endeavour to claim back-to-back wins at the Stadium of Light for the first time this weekend following their aforementioned 1-0 success eight years ago.

Sunderland Premier League form:

Bournemouth Premier League form:

Team News

Sunderland midfielder Habib Diarra remains sidelined with a long-term groin injury, but Le Bris has revealed that every other player in his squad is “in the green”.

Dennis Cirkin (wrist), Romaine Mundle (hamstring), Leo Hjelde (Achilles) and Aji Alese (shoulder) have therefore all recovered from injury, but the quartet are lacking match fitness and it remains to be seen if any will be selected in the matchday squad.

Le Bris revealed at his pre-match press conference that rotation “will happen for sure” at some stage during a busy fixture schedule, with Chemsdine Talbi, Simon Adingra, Brian Brobbey and Arthur Masuaku among those all pushing for a recall.

Omar Alderete could force his way back in the heart of the defence and his potential inclusion at centre-back could see Trai Hume make way and Nordi Mukiele move over to right-back or right wing-back.

As for Bournemouth, Antoine Semenyo has trained this week after missing the draw with West Ham through illness, and Iraola has revealed that the attacker should be ready to return to the matchday squad if he comes through Friday's training session.

Justin Kluivert (muscle) has also trained this week and is set to be assessed, but Ryan Christie will be ruled out for three to four weeks with a knee injury, joining Ben Gannon-Doak (hamstring) in the treatment room.

Iraola will weigh up whether to stick with Lewis Cook at right-back or recall either Adam Smith or Alex Jimenez, while Evanilson should fend off competition from Unal and Eli Junior Kroupi to lead the line, supported in attack by Semenyo - if fit - Tavernier and David Brooks.

Sunderland possible starting lineup:

Roefs; Hume, Mukiele, Ballard, Geertruida, Reinildo; Xhaka, Sadiki; Traore, Isidor, Le Fee

Bournemouth possible starting lineup:

Petrovic; Smith, Diakite, Senesi, Truffert; Scott, Adams; Brooks, Tavernier, Semenyo; Evanilson

We say: Sunderland 1-1 Bournemouth

Both Sunderland and Bournemouth are looking to return to winning ways and will be motivated by the possibility of climbing into the top four this weekend with a victory.

However, we feel that a tight affair could be in store, and considering that the Black Cats boast a strong home record, they should do enough to claim at least a share of the spoils on this occasion.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.