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

Two newly-promoted clubs with differing ambitions close out Premier League gameweek 24, as Sunderland welcome Burnley to the Stadium of Light on Monday evening.

The Black Cats are bidding to return to the top half of the Premier League rankings, while the Clarets will remain second from bottom no matter what transpires between now and February 2.

Match preview

The Sunderland steam train was always going to slow down at some point, and Regis Le Bris's hosts now find themselves outside the top 10 of the top-flight standings, having won just one of their last six games in the division.

That solitary success did come in Sunderland's most recent home game - a 2-1 victory over new crisis club Crystal Palace - but the Black Cats fell short on the road once again in gameweek 23, going down 3-1 to survival hopefuls West Ham United.

Nevertheless, the home side will remain within touching distance of the European places with a ninth Premier League win of the season on Monday night, which would also represent their third success from four games in all competitions after eliminating Everton from the FA Cup.

That third-round penalty-shootout win represents Sunderland's only victory from their last eight on the road, but the walls of the Stadium of Light fortress are still standing strong, as Le Bris's side have still not lost a single Premier League home game in 2025-26.

In fact, after Manchester United's shock win at Arsenal last weekend, Sunderland are the only Premier League team with their unbeaten home record still intact; the only promoted side to enjoy a longer streak without a home loss in a Premier League season are the 2009-10 Birmingham City crop (15 games).

Involved in their own four-goal game during the most recent Premier League matchweek, fellow 2024-25 Championship contenders Burnley may have accepted a point against Tottenham Hotspur before kickoff, but their 2-2 stalemate was undoubtedly a case of two points dropped for Scott Parker's side.

Trailing 2-1 with injury time looming, Spurs - whose attack was stunted by the Clarets' rearguard - once again had to rely on centre-back Cristian Romero to bail them out of trouble, as the World Cup winner headed in a 90th-minute leveller.

Owing to a 14th straight Premier League game without victory, 19th-placed Burnley cannot move up or down the rankings in gameweek 24, but the green shoots of recovery have slowly been blooming, even if the green ticks of victories have not.

Indeed, Parker's side are now unbeaten in four games in all tournaments, drawing each of their last three in the Premier League and playing out five stalemates from their last seven, after previously losing seven on the spin from November 1 to December 13.

Burnley also came up trumps 2-0 in August's encounter with Sunderland at Turf Moor, but they have triumphed on just one of their last 12 trips to the Stadium of Light and are still waiting for their first away clean sheet of the season.

Sunderland Premier League form:

Sunderland form (all competitions):

Burnley Premier League form:

Burnley form (all competitions):

Team News

Sunderland suffered without midfield metronome Granit Xhaka patrolling the engine room at West Ham - although he still made headlines for his verbal set-to with home supporters - and Le Bris expects the former Arsenal man to miss another three weeks with his ankle problem.

Bertrand Traore (knee) and new signing Jocelyn Ta Bi (ankle) are keeping Xhaka company in the treatment room, while Arthur Masuaku is also struggling with an ankle problem but has left for Ligue 1 title-chasers Lens on loan.

All of Reinildo Mandava, Trai Hume and Romaine Mundle were taken off at half time in the dismal loss to West Ham, and with Xhaka still on the sidelines, the latter should be sacrificed for Habib Diarra as Le Bris seeks additional midfield stability.

On Burnley's end, Parker confirmed a double fitness boost in his press conference, as striker Zian Flemming and defender Joe Worrall are in contention to make the squad following their recent recoveries.

Both players are potential beneficiaries of James Ward-Prowse's set-piece mastery; the 31-year-old joined on loan from West Ham earlier this week, but Parker has suggested he will need more time to regain his match fitness after being out in the cold at the London Stadium.

Zeki Amdouni (knee), Connor Roberts (Achilles), Mike Tresor (ankle), Josh Cullen (knee) and Jordan Beyer (ankle) remain out, but the Clarets have no fresh concerns from the previous gameweek.

Sunderland possible starting lineup:

Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Cirkin; Diarra, Sadiki; Hume, Le Fee, Talbi; Brobbey

Burnley possible starting lineup:

Dubravka; Humphreys, Esteve, Tuanzebe; Walker, Ugochukwu, Florentino, Pires; Edwards, Anthony; Foster

We say: Sunderland 1-0 Burnley

Comparable to Newcastle United losing Bruno Guimaraes, Xhaka's absence deprives Sunderland of their omnipresent midfield maestro, one who is also a dab hand at playmaking from deep.

Nevertheless, the Black Cats should still generate chances against a Burnley side who cannot keep the back door shut away from home, and one goal may be enough for Le Bris's side to prolong the Clarets' miserable winless sequence.

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