Times change. For Sunderland, in the mix for European if not Champions League spots for the first few months of the campaign, heady stuff for a promoted side, and Regis Le Bris pushing all of the right buttons, recent form has been something less, dropping three straight in the Prem, and the unbeaten mark at Stadium of Light put to the sword in recent weeks by by Liverpool and Fulham last Sunday. Goals are drying up, midfield pilot Granit Xhaka recently missed a month, but others suspect a delayed reaction from December-January when a wide swath of the squad was participating in AFCON. Meanwhile, Bournemouth has results in seven straight, up the table to 8th and in striking distance of Europe. Play Sunderland Asian Line
Sunderland were everyone's favorite newly promoted side to start this season off, and hit incredibly above their weight class for the first two thirds of the season. This team that most people favored to be relegated, covered their team point line halfway through the season. As impressive as they have been, it looks like teams are finally figuring out how to beat them. Sunderland have lost their last three EPL matches, and without captain Granite Xhaka, this team just isn't the same.
Bournemouth are up to 8th in the Premier League table after embarking on a six-game unbeaten streak. In their last three home matches, they've beaten Tottenham, beaten Liverpool, and drawn with high-flying Aston Villa. The Cherries have the sixth-best home record in the Premier League this season, and they look capable of beating Sunderland this weekend. Sunderland struggle on the road, with just two wins, four draws, and seven defeats from 13 away games. The Black Cats are winless in their last eight away matches, which doesn't bode well for their chances of beating Bournemouth.
