With Xisco Munoz fighting to save his job, Championship basement dwellers Sheffield Wednesday host Sunderland at Hillsborough on Friday.
Key Takeaways
- Sheffield Wednesday find themselves rock bottom of the Championship
- The Owls have taken two points from a possible 24 this season
- Sunderland occupy fifth place following a run of one defeat in six games
Xisco Munoz is drinking in the last chance saloon as his disjointed Sheffield Wednesday side prepare to entertain in-form Sunderland, who already sit 11 points clear of the Owls after eight matches.
Sheffield Wednesday Form
Just when it looked as though things couldn’t get any worse for Xisco and his players, Sheffield Wednesday suffered a 3-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Swansea City last weekend, handing the Swans their first league victory of the season.
The winless Owls have recorded two draws and six losses since gaining promotion from League One, conceding a whopping 14 goals while scoring just five. As a result, Wednesday are on course to endure an immediate return to the third tier.
Sunderland Form
At the opposite end of the table, the Black Cats find themselves in the play-off spots thanks to a strong start to the season. Better still, only three sides have scored more Championship goals than Sunderland’s 15 (1.9 goals per game).
Tony Mowbray’s men enjoyed an unbeaten run of four wins and one draw before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Cardiff City last time out. Still, Sunderland will be confident of returning to winning ways at the first time of asking against lowly Sheffield Wednesday.
Head-to-Head
Sheffield Wednesday claimed a 2-0 victory over Sunderland in the EFL Cup last season, ending a three-game winless run against the Black Cats in the process.
When you look at the bigger picture, Sunderland have managed to win just two of their eight meetings with Wednesday since 2017, although those victories came in the League One play-offs last year.
Team News
The hosts are still without long-term injury absentee Mallik Wilks, who has not featured since April due to a muscle problem, while French midfielder Mohamed Diaby is expected to miss Friday’s clash with a leg injury.
As for the visitors, their injury list contains Jay Matete (knee), Corry Evans (knee), Pierre Ekwah (leg), Dennis Cirkin (muscle) and Ajibola Alese (unspecified).
Key Players
Former Monaco youngster Anthony Musaba is the only Sheffield Wednesday player to have scored two goals this season, with influential midfielder Barry Bannan failing to make a significant impact so far.
On the flip side, Sunderland winger Jack Clarke has netted five goals in nine appearances this term, while 18-year-old playmaker Jobe Bellingham has caught the eye, chipping in with a couple of goals for good measure.
Final Thoughts
Given that struggling Sheffield Wednesday have taken a measly two points from a possible 24 this season, all the signs point towards a straightforward away victory on Friday, with free-scoring Sunderland expected to make light work of the Owls.
Championship