Sunderland square off against Stoke City on Saturday afternoon looking for the victory that will move them back into the Championship playoff hunt.
Although nine positions separate these teams in the standings, Stoke are just eight points adrift of their 10th-placed opponents as they bid to make a late push for the top six.
Match preview
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Michael Beale may just be seven games into his reign at Sunderland but he has already learned that he has considerable work to do to win over supporters.
Boos rung out as Sunderland went down 1-0 at home to Hull City on January 19, with the Black Cats having lost three games in a row since collecting seven points from nine across the Christmas and New Year period.
Forming a solid opinion on Beale at this stage is harsh given that he has only been at the North East outfit for a month, yet he would have understood the scenario before accepting the role.
Despite collecting just seven points from a possible 18 in the Championship, Beale will feel that overcoming the five-point deficit to fifth-placed West Bromwich Albion is more than achievable.
While Sunderland have won eight of their 14 fixtures at the Stadium of Light in 2023-24, they have also lost six times; only four teams have lost on more occasions on familiar territory in the Championship this season.
That record will leave Steven Schumacher sensing an opportunity for his Stoke side as he bids to move his new club away from the relegation zone.
Sitting eight points clear of the drop zone, the Potters can feel safe for the time being, particularly having recently put together a seven-game undefeated streak.
However, Stoke must find a way to bounce back from last weekend's 2-1 reverse at home to Birmingham City, a defeat that prevented them from moving into 15th spot.
On a plus note, though, the Staffordshire-based outfit are four games unbeaten on their travels, while they have conceded just 19 times in their 14 away fixtures.
Team News
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Beale will almost certainly tinker with his Sunderland XI, Luis Semedo potentially getting a rare opportunity in the middle of the attack.
Dennis Cirkin and Bradley Dack are both pushing for a return to the squad after hamstring injuries, but they will not be considered for a starting role at this stage.
Schumacher must decide to what extent he wants to make changes to his Stoke side after they found themselves 2-0 down after 49 minutes versus Birmingham.
Tyrese Campbell proved his fitness after a long-term injury by coming through the final third of that contest, and he could start ahead of Ryan Mmaee.
Ben Wilmot is an option in defence, while Ben Pearson is an alternative in central midfield having played just one minute of football since the turn of the year.
Sunderland possible starting lineup:
Patterson; Seelt, Ballard, O'Nien, Hume; Ekwah; Pritchard, Bellingham, Neil, Clarke; Semedo
Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Iversen; Hoever, McNally, Rose, Thompson; Pearson, Burger, Baker; Jun-Ho, Campbell, Vidigal
We say: Sunderland 1-1 Stoke City
Given the reaction to the Hull defeat, Beale comes into this contest already facing widespread criticism. We feel that he will get back on track with a share of the spoils from this match, although that will not ease the pressure on his shoulders.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Darren Plant
