PREVIEW: Sunderland vs Plymouth Argyle
Sunderland are back at The Stadium of Light for this weekend’s round of EFL Championship fixtures, as they take on a currently high-flying Plymouth Argyle side fresh from their first away win of the season.
It's a game that Sunderland will certainly be looking to win, and if they can there will be some real momentum just starting to build on Wearside.
It's rarely that simple though where Sunderland are concerned, right?
The Opposition
Plymouth Argyle come into this game with 36 points from 29 games, which puts them in 15th place in the Championship table.
The Pilgrims are seven places and eight points behind Sunderland who are in eighth, one point outside the play-offs.
Plymouth come into this game four games unbeaten in the league, two draws against Watford and Huddersfield, and two straight victories over Cardiff and Swansea.
They’re a side in good form, despite their defeat to Leeds in the FA Cup on Tuesday night.
The Manager
IMAGO / PPAUK
There have been changes in both dugouts since the last time the two sides met.
Steven Schumacher, a manager linked with Sunderland when Tony Mowbray was sacked, departed Home Park to go and join Stoke City, replacing former Sunderland manager Alex Neil.
New head coach Ian Foster was appointed on the 5th of January.
Foster started his coaching career in Ireland with short spells at Galway United and Dundalk. Since then, he has worked at Coventry City where he coached the likes of James Maddison, Callum Wilson, Jon Fleck and Cyrus Christie.
He then spent a year and a half at Portsmouth, working alongside Paul Cook as his assistant before becoming an England Youth Coach.
Between 2019 and 2023 Foster worked with England’s u17s, u18, u19s and u20s with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Conor Gallagher among the players he influenced.
One thing Ian Foster has in common with Michael Beale is that they have both been assistants to Steven Gerrard.
In July 2023, Foster joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq FC as assistant coach, although he only lasted about as long as Jordan Henderson there.
The Squad
The Plymouth squad has seen a lot of in’s and out’s since their game at Home Park on the 4th of November.
Six players have been brought in, most notably former Leeds and Middlesbrough midfielder Adam Forshaw.
They have lost Finn Azaz, though. The Irishman scored the second Argyle goal against Sunderland in November, but he was recalled by parent club Aston Villa and sold on to Middlesbrough.
Three of the four loan signings who came in during the January transfer window - Ashley Phillips, Darko Gyabi and Aflie Devine - have all played for Foster throughout his time in the England youth teams.
Last meeting
The sides met in November, at Home Park. Morgan Whittaker put the home side in front, then Finn Azaz made it 2-0 five minutes before half time.
Sustained pressure from Sunderland in the second half, but the boys in red and white weren’t able to find the back of the net.
The Game in Numbers
6 – Sunderland have won six of their last 10 matches against Plymouth Argyle.
19 – There have been 19 goals scored in the last five meetings between Sunderland and Plymouth at the Stadium of Light.
402.1 – The amount of miles Plymouth will travel to Sunderland this weekend.
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