Match Preview: Sunderland v Charlton - Can the Lads maintain our 100% record at home?

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Saturday 23rd October 2021

(2nd) Sunderland v Charlton Athletic (22nd)

Sky Bet League One

Stadium of Light

Kick-Off: 15:00

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Tickets & Match Coverage

Tickets: Tickets are available online via SAFC here to residents outside the UK and Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man only.

TV/Stream: Full live match coverage available via www.safc.com.

Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online)

Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker Report Twitter feed (@RokerReport) and check out the player ratings after the full-time whistle at www.RokerReport.com!

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The build-up...

After negotiating two potential banana skins in the space of four days at the front end of this week, Lee Johnson’s side return to the Stadium of Light aiming to make it seven straight wins on home soil.

Historically, we haven’t got the best record against today’s opponents either at the Stadium of Light or at Roker Park, with only two victories from the last nine meetings on Wearside in the past 25 years. We need to look back to our opening day win in 2018-19 as we began life in League One under Jack Ross for our last victory against them.

Sitting a point behind leaders Plymouth having played two games less, a win this afternoon would see us return to the top of the table with three straight victories if Argyle come unstuck at Morecambe. Given the injuries we’ve had over recent weeks, that would put us in a good place ahead of their return to first team action.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

It’s just over two years since we were beaten by Charlton at Wembley and few would have guessed that they would be sitting in the League One relegation zone ahead of today’s fixture.

Nigel Adkins was chosen as the man to take on the job after Lee Bowyer’s move to Birmingham City towards the end of last season and it’s fair to say it hasn’t quite worked out. After just missing out on the play-offs last year, the current campaign didn’t start well and Charlton fans had to wait until their fifth game of the season to find a win, which is still their only home win to date.

This poor form continued and only one more victory since the end of August has meant the Addicks sit third from bottom, and more importantly four points adrift of safety. The midweek 3-2 defeat at The Valley against Accrington Stanley proved to be the final straw and on Thursday, Adkins was relieved of his duties.

Early indications are that a manager won’t be in place ahead of today’s game, with Johnnie Jackson taking temporary charge, which could mean a less predictable Charlton side travelling to the north-east than might have been had Adkins held on to his job.

Photo by Jacques Feeney/Getty Images

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League One Form...

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The betting...

The Lads are unsurprisingly strong favourites to take all three points today at 13/20 while an away win for struggling Charlton is priced at 4/1 and the draw is 29/10.

In terms of correct score, a 1-1 draw is slight favourite at 11/2, with a 1-0 win for the Lads close behind at 6/1. A more convincing 2-0 home victory is 6/1 with a closer 2-1 at a slightly longer 7/1..

It’s maybe not a surprise that Charlton are 12/1 to win via the only goal of the game and a more convincing 2-0 away win is a longer 25/1.

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Head to head...

(At the Stadium of Light/Roker Park in all competitions)

• Sunderland wins: 20
• Draws: 9
• Charlton Athletic wins: 10
• Sunderland goals: 73
• Charlton Athletic goals: 46

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Last time we met... at the Stadium of Light

Saturday 10th April 2021

Sky Bet League One

Sunderland 1-2 Charlton Athletic

(Scowen 77’ - Scowen (OG) 31’, Gilbey 61’)

Sunderland: Burge, Power, Sanderson, O’Nien, McFadzean (Stewart), Scowen, Winchester (Jones), Gooch (Hume), McGeady, O’Brien (McLaughlin), Wyke Substitutes not used: Matthews, Leadbitter, Diamond

Charlton Athletic: Richards, Daniels, Pickering, Wintle, Wood, Beckles, Lowery, Murphy, Mandron, Porter (Dale), Kirk Substitutes not used: Jaaskaleinen, Johnson, Lancashire, Evans, Powell, Walker

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

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Played for both...

Andy Reid

After starting his career at Nottingham Forest Reid earned a big-money move to Spurs in 2005 but signed for Charlton a year later for £3m.

The Irish winger then joined Sunderland in 2008 and although impressing on occasions, maybe didn’t play as much as he’d have liked and ended up signing for Blackpool in 2011. Reid retired in 2016 and now works with the Nottingham Forest U23’s side from January his year.

Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

Martyn Waghorn

Waghorn came through the ranks with the Lads to make his first team debut under Roy Keane during a 4-0 defeat to Manchester United at the Stadium of Light on Boxing Day 2007.

Loan spells with Charlton Athletic and later Leicester City followed, where he impressed enough to convince the midlands club to part with a deal that had the potential to reach £3m in 2010.

He then made the move to Scotland, joining Glasgow Rangers in July 2015, who were aiming for promotion from the Scottish Championship and a return to the Scottish Premier League.

After a spell at Ipswich Town Frank Lampard took him to Derby County in 2018 and he is now at Coventry City after leaving Pride Park when his contract expired in the summer.

Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

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