Preview: Sunderland vs. Fulham - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to claim their first Premier League win over Fulham at the Stadium of Light since 2009, Sunderland host their London visitors in the 27th round on Sunday.

Regis Le Bris’s team have, however, finally been beaten in front of their supporters, falling 1-0 to Liverpool after a 12-match undefeated sequence, and they now face a capital club on a three-match losing streak.

Match preview

Sunderland’s involvement in this season’s Premier League after an eight-year absence is likely to end with the Black Cats retaining their top-flight status; however, the Mackems will not celebrate an unbeaten campaign on Wearside.

Having avoided defeat in 12 matches at the Stadium of Light, winning seven games during that period, Liverpool finally beat Le Bris’s team on February 11.

That 1-0 loss followed their 3-0 reverse against Arsenal in London, marking the first time that the promoted outfit have suffered back-to-back defeats since returning to the big time, leaving them 11th in the table, one place and two points above this weekend’s visitors.

While they have the fifth-best home record this term, accumulating 26 points from a possible 39, the historical disadvantage in this fixture may not fill supporters with much confidence heading into Sunday’s contest.

Although Sunderland did beat the Cottagers in their last league meeting on Wearside — a 1-0 success over the London club in the Championship nine years ago — the Black Cats have been unsuccessful in five consecutive top-flight meetings since January 2009.

Since beating their West London opponents 1-0 17 years ago, the Black Cats have suffered two defeats and played out three draws when Fulham visit Wearside, strikingly failing to score in four of those meetings.

Even if Sunday’s match represents the clubs’ first Premier League encounter at the Stadium of Light since 2013, when the Cottagers won 1-0, the travelling fans will be aware of the positive run they have recently enjoyed in this fixture.

Without defeat in the past four encounters, securing three victories, Marco Silva’s men now bid to claim a fourth triumph in the last five contests with the Black Cats.

However, a disappointing drop-off in performances and results could undermine the Cottagers, who head to the Stadium of Light seeking to complete the double over their hosts for the first time since the 2002-03 season.

Silva’s team have fallen to three consecutive losses to Manchester United (3-2), Everton (2-1) and Manchester City (3-0) and have suffered four defeats in their last five, underlining their dip since mid-January.

Thus, it remains to be seen whether the out-of-form capital club will punish the hosts, whose four defeats in the last six rounds are as many as they suffered in the first 20 gameweeks.

Given the Cottagers’ four-match winless spell away from home in the top flight, a run which includes three successive losses, the outcome of Sunday’s match on Wearside is anyone’s guess.

Sunderland Premier League form:

Sunderland form (all competitions):

Fulham Premier League form:

Fulham form (all competitions):

Team News

While Granit Xhaka’s return is welcome news for the Black Cats — Sunderland lost three of the four matches their captain missed — the Swiss midfielder may not be risked from the start this weekend.

Le Bris has, however, confirmed that Bertrand Traore’s knee issue will keep the Burkina Faso international out for at least another week, while Reinildo Mandava is ruled out for another month with a similar problem.

Although Xhaka’s five assists are a team high, the hosts can also rely on Enzo Le Fee for creativity, with the midfielder setting up four goals, level with Nordi Mukiele.

Also striving to make a difference for the hosts is five-goal forward Brian Brobbey, who has netted two match-winning efforts and hopes to be decisive on Sunday.

No player in the Sunderland side has matched Harry Wilson’s five game-clinching goals, with the Fulham wide attacker’s decisive strikes coming from eight overall.

Raul Jimenez has also been pivotal for the Cottagers this term, and the Mexico international is looking to build on his three match‑winning goals, six in total.

Jimenez scored the only goal in the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage in November, and the forward now bids to find the net in both meetings against the same team for only the second time for Fulham after last season’s performance against Newcastle United.

While Silva has a healthy squad for Sunday, Samuel Chukwueze (calf), Sasa Lukic (thigh) and Tom Cairney (calf) are likely absentees for the West London side in round 27.

Chukwueze's absence is especially painful for the Cottagers, as the Nigerian averages a goal or assist every 91 minutes — a rate surpassed only by Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (77 minutes) among players with 500 minutes or more.

Sunderland possible starting lineup:

Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Geertruida, Cirkin; Diarra, Sadiki, Le Fee; Hume, Brobbey, Angulo

Fulham possible starting lineup:

Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon; Iwobi, Berge; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Kevin; Jimenez

We say: Sunderland 2-1 Fulham

After Liverpool finally snapped their proud unbeaten home run, Sunderland will be desperate to prove that the Stadium of Light remains a fortress.

With Xhaka returning in some capacity to inspire the Black Cats, the hosts should see off a Fulham side who have failed to win in four away league games before this weekend, losing three on the spin in that time.

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