Saturday 18th October 2025
Sunderland v Wolverhampton Wanderers – Premier League
Stadium of Light Kick-Off: 15:00
Tickets & Match Coverage
Tickets: Tickets are sold out.
TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is unavailable in the UK.
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…
Something feels different about today. It might be the fact that the Keel Crossing is officially opening today, or it could be the fact that there’s an expectation on Sunderland to win this afternoon.
Until today, we have – quite rightly – taken our place as underdogs in our eight Premier League fixtures so far, and I get the feeling Regis le Bris and maybe even some of the players embrace that scenario. But today may have a different feel to it, where the feeling expressed from the stand is potentially an expectation to win.
Even though Wolves aren’t in the best of places as it stands – more on that further down – Le Bris tempered those expectations by reiterating that they are a quality side and haven’t been far away in most of their games. This is a tough league and especially so this year when the likes of Wolves are still a good side, but aren’t picking up the points.
While it will be interesting to see how Sunderland cope with the different kind of pressure in terms of securing all three points, there were doubts about Noah Sadiki and Omar Alderete not being available this weekend, so all eyes will be on the starting XI to see if they make it. On Thursday, Le Bris thought the signs were positive, but would it be a risk to throw two vital players into an important game if they’re carrying knocks?
There was also discussion at the press conference about the significance of the game this afternoon. Although the manager played it down, there’s an opportunity to put a twelve-point gap between ourselves and one of the sides tipped to be in trouble come May, so if we put it like that…
When you think of Sunderland’s past meetings on Wearside, I think of Geoff Thomas and Lee Howey, I think of Jody Craddock and Steven Fletcher doing their thing in either shirt, I think of Sunderland scoring five Premier League goals at home, a weird end to a season we were relegated to the third tier and last of all their stinking record up here.
In the last 18 attempts stretching back to 1981, Wolves have won just twice. Even when they were running away with the Championship title and marching towards the Premier League on 99 points when they visited on the final day of the season, we beat them 3-0.
But anyway, to the modern day and Wolves are a club that we are probably looking at that we wouldn’t mind emulating if we go off the last seven years. Finishing seventh in their first two seasons in the top flight, they have since finished between 10th and 16th and appear to have hit a ceiling, which is seeing the enthusiasm wane for owners and fans alike.
Vitor Pereira steadied the ship last season after taking over with the club sitting second bottom behind Ipswich Town and looking like they were in big trouble. All of that credit built up by doing that is being spent with people still having faith as they still wait for their first victory this season.
After taking the opening day defeat to Manchester City out of the equation – having been one of those days we are highly likely to experience ourselves this season – their defeats have been by single goals, other than a home loss to Leeds United, which is probably the most painful.
However, two draws against Spurs and Brighton in recent weeks provide a bit of confidence going into today’s game, and with Burnley visiting Molineux next, it could be these games that define the future of the manager.
The betting…
The bookies have the Lads at 7/5 to win the game, while Wolves are priced at 21/20, and the draw is also 21/20.
Head to head… at Sunderland…
(All competitions)
- Sunderland wins: 33
- Draws: 17
- Wolves wins: 11
- Sunderland goals: 133
- Wolves goals: 70
Last time we met… at the Stadium of Light
Sunday 6th May 2018
Championship
Sunderland 3-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
[Ejaria 19’, Fletcher 45’, McNair 66’]
Sunderland: Steele, Matthews, O’Shea (Mumba), Wilson, Oviedo (Hume), Asoro, Robson, McNair (Embleton), Molyneux, Ejaria, Fletcher Substitutes not used: Camp, Clarke-Salter, McManaman, Maja
Wolves: Norris (Burgoyne), Doherty, Douglas, Batth, Coady, Miranda, Cosat (Enobakhare), Saiss, Gibbs-White (Bonatini), Neves, Jota Substitutes not used: Vinagre, hause, N’Diaye, Afobe
Attendance: 28,452
Played for both…
Don Goodman
The Leeds-born striker began his football career at Bradford City in the mid-1980s before moving to the West Midlands to West Bromwich Albion in 1987. Goodman had four successful years at the Hawthorns before Denis Smith spent a record fee of £900,000 to lure him to Roker Park to replace Marco Gabbiadini in late 1991 after he had joined Crystal Palace.
His three years at Roker began with Smith getting the sack, and he would miss out on an FA Cup Final appearance as he was cup-tied, and that set the tone. A brilliant player on his day for Sunderland, but the club was in a bad place with managerial appointments that went wrong, until the appointment of Peter Reid, that is.
Unfortunately for Goodman, he had joined Wolves for £1.3m just months before the arrival of Reid, as he left to join Wolves as they looked destined to be promoted to the Premier League, but as it turned out, it was Sunderland who were promoted a year later.
Goodman is now a regular commentator for Sky Sports.
Prediction…
Sunderland 0-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
There’s pressure on us to win the game, and there’s pressure on them to get their first win on the board – so I get a feeling it will end in a stalemate.
