Sunderland vs Norwich City Lineups, Preview, Prediction and Team News | EFL Championship, December 21, 2024
Sunderland vs Norwich City Preview
- Competition: EFL Championship.
- Date: Saturday, December 21.
- Time: 3:00 PM GMT.
- Venue: Stadium of Light.
Sunderland vs Norwich City will take place in the middle slot in the EFL Championship on December 21 as the fourth-placed Black Cats prepare to face the 12th-placed Canaries.
The hosts will enter this game on the back of a mixed run of form of late. They have won two of their last five games across competitions, securing two draws and falling to one defeat as well. In this run, Sunderland have scored just six goals but also conceded five goals as they have been involved in some low-scoring affairs. With just one clean sheet in this span, they will look to improve. They defeated Swansea City 3-2 away from home last time and will draw confidence from that.
Norwich City, on the other hand, will also enter this game on the back of a mixed run of form. They have won two of their last five matches across competitions, securing one draw but falling to two defeats as well. In this run, they have scored 11 goals, but conceded eight as well, keeping just one clean sheet along the way. Winless in their last three, the Canaries will look to snap out of this streak and register a win soon.
On that note, let’s take a look at the team news from both camps.
Sunderland Team News
Manager Regis Le Bris fielded a strong lineup in his team’s last match and went with his trusted 4-2-3-1 shape. He will likely do the same in his team’s next match. A big positive for the manager is that there were no new injuries or suspensions to report, nor do they have anyone on those lists from before, meaning everyone is available.
Norwich City Team News
Manager Johannes Thorup fielded a strong lineup in his team’s last match but they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat. Most of the players did not perform at their usual levels, so the manager may choose to make a couple of tweaks to refresh the squad. However, in a bit of good news, Norwich have no injuries and suspensions to report.
Predicted Lineups
Sunderland Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anthony Patterson.
Defenders: Trai Hume, Chris Mepham, Daniel Ballard, Dennis Cirkin.
Midfielders: Dan Neil (C), Jobe Bellingham, Chris Rigg.
Forwards: Patrick Roberts, Eliezer Mayenda, Wilson Isidor.
Norwich City Predicted Lineup (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Angus Gunn.
Defenders: Kellen Fisher, Shane Duffy (C), Jose Cordoba, Callum Doyle.
Midfielders: Anis Ben Slimane, Marcelino Nunez, Emiliano Marcondes.
Forwards: Oscar Schwartau, Ante Crnac, Borja Sainz.
Sunderland vs Norwich City Head-to-Head Record
These two teams have faced each other in the Premier League as well as the EFL Championship. However, they have both been in the second tier for the last few years, and their head-to-head record is in perfect balance. Sunderland have won two of their last five meetings, Norwich City have won two, and there have been two draws as well.
| Date | Match | Competition |
| 02/03/24 | Norwich 1-0 Sunderland | EFL Championship |
| 28/10/23 | Sunderland 3-1 Norwich | EFL Championship |
| 12/03/23 | Norwich 0-1 Sunderland | EFL Championship |
| 27/08/22 | Sunderland 0-1 Norwich | EFL Championship |
| 11/04/18 | Sunderland 1-1 Norwich | EFL Championship |
Key Players to Watch
Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland)
The 19-year-old has been in top form for Sunderland and is among their top contributors with six goal contributions to his name this season. He has been in great form of late and has been involved in his team’s attacking play quite heavily of late. With two assists and one goal in his last three outings, Bellingham will be confident of carrying this forward.
Borja Sainz (Norwich City)
Sainz has been a revelation for Norwich City this season and leads their scoring charts by a country mile. He has scored 15 goals and provided two assists as well, and will look to continue in the same fashion to help his team’s promotion chances.
Sunderland vs Norwich City Prediction
There is little to separate these two sides based on head-to-head, with the games also taking place several years ago. However, recent form as well as home advantage tilts the tie in Sunderland’s favour this time around, and they should win with relative ease.
Prediction: Sunderland 2-1 Norwich City
Where to watch Sunderland vs Norwich City live?
| Location | Where to Watch |
| UK | Sky Sports |
| US | CBS Sports Golazo, Paramount+ |
| India | FanCode |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. When is Sunderland vs Norwich City?
A. Sunderland will host Norwich City on Saturday, December 21 at 3:00 PM GMT.
Q. Where can you watch Sunderland vs Norwich City for free?
A. Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV Stream will stream the match for free.
Q. What is the predicted score for Sunderland vs Norwich City?
A. Sunderland 2-1 Norwich City.
Q. What is the recent head-to-head record for Sunderland vs Norwich City?
A. Sunderland have won two of the last five meetings, Norwich City have won two, and there has been one draw.