Match Preview: Sunderland v Crystal Palace — Lads Return to Premier League Action!
Saturday 17th January 2026
Sunderland v Crystal Palace – The Premier League
The platform Of Light Getting started: 15:00
Tickets & Game Coverage
Tickets: Tickets are sold out.
TV/Broadcasting: Full live match coverage is not available in the UK.
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Radio: Full live commentary of the match is available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online)
Construction…
It seemed like last week was exactly what we needed in some ways. Like when you just need an afternoon off and you feel better about it – in that sense it feels good to be back in the bread and butter of the Premier League.
Crystal Palace are the visitors to the Stadium of Light in a game we haven’t seen on Wearside for almost nine and a half years. Meanwhile, David Moyes and Alan Pardew were in the dugouts and after leading 2-0 on the hour with a Jermain Defoe brace, we lost 3-2. In fact, we have never come out on top in their five visits and we have to go back to 2003 for our last home win against them in the league.
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But back to today and both clubs go into the game looking to get back to winning ways with Palace looking for the first time in six games and the Lads having just one win on the board in their last six – against the visitors.
Despite Palace being only three places and two points below Sunderland in the table, there is a different feeling about the clubs at the moment which was evident on the eve of the game.
Two top football stories broke when Marc Guéhi agreed a £20m deal to join Man City and was withdrawn from the club at the weekend, and Oliver Glasner announced he was leaving at the end of the season. It may have been the worst-kept secret in football, but announcing a manager’s departure months in advance rarely has a positive effect.
On the other hand Sunderland are almost at full strength, without Traoré (and to a lesser extent Masuaku), which means that Le Bris have difficult decisions, especially at the back where we have lost selection. Will this lead to four or five behind?
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Today is a three game series, West Ham away and Burnley at home to follow where we can get close to that incredible 40 point mark when we travel to Arsenal on February 7.
Bet…
The bookies have the Lads at 23/10 to win the game, while Everton are priced at 23/20, with the draw at 2/1.
Head to head… in Sunderland
(All competitions)
Last time we met… in the stadium of light
Saturday 24th September 2016
The Premier League
A field of light
Sunderland 2-3 Crystal Palace
[Defoe 39’, 60’ – Ledley 61’, McArthur 76’, Benteke 90’]
Sunderland: Pickford, Manquillo, Kone, Djilobodji, Kirchoff, van Aanholt, Cattermole (McNair), Ndong, Pienaar (Watmore), Januzaj (Anichebe) Exceptions are not used: Mika, Denayer, O’Shea, Khazri
Crystal Palace: Mandanda, Ward, Kelly (Fryers), Ledley, Tomkins, Delaney, Puncheon (Lee), McArthur, Benteke, Cabaye (Wickham), Townsend Exceptions are not used: Hennessey, Wynter, Mutch, Sako
Presence: 38,941
Predicting…
Sunderland 2-0 Crystal Palace
If you listened to the preview this morning, you will have heard that the full house is winning 2-0, and who am I to disagree?
