Sunderland one win from hitting heights not seen in over two decades as Fulham await
Sunderland are breaking an alarming number of records as they return to action against Fulham on Saturday.
The Black Cats travel to Craven Cottage with the hopes of extending their unbeaten run in the Premier League to five matches.
Regis Le Bris has done an excellent job for Sunderland, who are already expected to achieve Premier League survival having amassed 19 points from their first 11 matches.
Despite the fact that Fulham are expected to beat Sunderland, Le Bris’ side are on course to achieve back-to-back wins in London for the first time since 2001.
Sunderland can achieve back-to-back wins in London for first time since March 2001
Fulham sit 15th in the table, although they comfortably dispatched Wolves 3-0 in their last match at home, and are merely suffering a blip under the excellent Marco Silva.
Sunderland beat Chelsea 2-1 on their last trip to London, and they are in with a chance of breaking a 24-year club record.
According to Opta, the Black Cats haven’t won back-to-back away games in the capital within a single season in the competition since March 2001.
| Stat | Sunderland |
| Wins | 5 |
| Draws | 4 |
| Losses | 2 |
| Points | 19 |
| Premier League position | 4th |
The Black Cats are winless in their last three matches against the Cottagers, and they’ll be attempting to record a first victory over their opponents since 2015.
Fulham’s position in the table does not reflect how hard they are to break down at home, and set-pieces could become a huge factor in the outcome of the match.
Sunderland‘s last visit to the capital left supporters ecstatic, and fans will be hoping their side can produce another memorable display.
A man who is key to any Sunderland match is Dan Ballard, and his antics during the international break may have benefited the Black Cats’ chances of achieving a win against the Cottagers.
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Sunderland handed huge Dan Ballard boost which could benefit them vs Fulham
Ballard was sent off for Northern Ireland in their 1-0 defeat to Slovakia on Friday, and it left him suspended for Monday’s win over Luxembourg.
This means the centre-back will have had over a week’s rest ahead of the trip to Craven Cottage, and he’ll be feeling much sharper than any player on the pitch.
He has been a colossus at the back, and his performance in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal on 8 November typified everything that Sunderland are about under Le Bris.
A win could see the Black Cats higher than fourth, and if that isn’t enough motivation, they could tick off another long-awaited record that is there for the taking.
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