Monday 2nd February 2026
Sunderland v Burnley – Premier League
Stadium of Light Kick-Off: 20:00
Tickets & Match Coverage
Tickets: Tickets are sold out.
TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available on Sky Sports.
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.sbnation.com!
The build-up…
It’s one of the many quirks of the transfer window that it closes an hour before this fixture. I assume we just drew the short
straw, but if I put my tin foil hat on for a second, could that be why it’s Sunderland v Burnley on this Monday Night Football?!
I assume we’ll never know, but I reckon Pep and Arteta might have a few things to say if it were Citeh or Arsenal on the box tonight, which may have distracted them from a last £100m they needed to burn through.
Anyhoo, Burnley are the visitors tonight, and Sunderland look to make it the third time this season that we’ve won successive home games (West Ham & Brentford in August and Bournemouth & the visitors if you were wondering). But since we haven’t won on the road since October 26th against Chelsea, which means it’s seven without a win away from home, it’s obvious that our bread and butter is at the Stadium of Light.
Yes, we remain unbeaten, but only four sides have taken more points on their own patch this season in the Premier League, and only City and Arsenal have conceded fewer goals in their own backyard.
Part of this is also how we’re reacting to defeats. Our loss at West Ham was our sixth of the season, and every single one of the previous five defeats has all been followed up by home wins – hopefully we’ll make it a sixth time this has happened with a win tonight.
Looking at Burnley, it’s a case of whipping out the Britney classic “oops, I did it again” as they’re just ten points from safety.
If, well, when relegation is confirmed, it will be the fifth season in a row that they have either been relegated from the Premier League or promoted back into it. At least they’re consistent. On this occasion, they can point to themselves and at least be able to point to the ownership at Turf Moor, that they’re getting something wrong, because it can be done.
Questions were asked of Scott Parker last season, even though he claimed 100 points and conceded just sixteen goals all season, but it doesn’t seem that Burnley are backing him as they did with Vincent Kompany. The style of play seems to be the main reason why, and there’s a seemingly big debate among the fans there whether they should get ridof him or if he’s the best man for the job for next season.
Anyway, the big picture is that they have all but given up on the terraces, even though it has to be said they have recorded some good draws lately against the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, and Spurs. But the signing of James Ward-Prowse until the end of the season tells us a lot, because the side five points above them in the table, fighting against the drop, has helped them out.
The betting…
The bookies have the Lads at 3/4 to win the game, while Burnley are priced at 19/5, and the draw is 12/5.
Head to head… at Sunderland
(All competitions)
- Sunderland wins: 32
- Draws: 17
- Burnley wins: 10
- Sunderland goals: 111
- Burnley goals: 71
Last time we met… at the Stadium of Light
Saturday 24th August 2024
Championship
Stadium of Light
Sunderland 1-0 Burnley
[Mundle 26’ (Dan Neil sent-off 85’)]
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, O’Nien, Alese, Cirkin, Roberts (Ballard), Neil, Bellingham, Mundle (Triantis), Rigg (Browne), Mayenda (Rusyn) Substitutes not used: Moore, Hjelde, Ekwah, Poveda, Watson
Burnley: Trafford, Roberts, Pires, Massengo (Amdouni), Egan-Riley, Esteve, Vitinho (Sambo), Brownhill, Foster, Rodriguez, Hountondji (McNally) Substitutes not used: Hladky, Green, Humphreys, McDermott, Hugill, Masara
Attendance: 40,096
Prediction…
Sunderland 1-0 Burnley
They drawn against some good sides lately, so this one is going to be a test for the lads to break them down.
