Official Boothen Roar Match Preview - Stoke v Sunderland

The Potters welcome Sunderland to the Britannia Stadium in today's lunchtime KO. Stoke sit 11th in the Premier League and will be up to try and inch further away from the relegation zone and hopefully into a european position. The visitors are well placed in 6th. Stoke have an indifferent home record this season and have already beaten Fulham in the Carling Cup, aswell as seven other home wins, but have four defeats. Sunderland have won three times away from home this season but have lost four times away aswell. In the 67 matches between these sides at Stoke, the Potters have won 33, the visitors 18 and sixteen have been drawn. Last time the pair clashed at the Britannia Stadium the game ended in a 1-0 home win courtesy of a rare Kitson strike. Overall Sunderland have won 60 times to the Potters 42 victories. The referee is Lee Probert. He has refuse Stoke in their away defeats to Wolves and Everton aswell as the home win over Villa. He last refereed Sunderland in their 0-0 away draw against Blackburn earlier this season. The Met Office report that there will be heavy rain, temperatures of a chilly 5 degrees celsius, poor visibility and a 26mph wind with gusts upto 46mph. Prediction: City and Sunderland battle out a spirited game but the Potters win thanks to a late goal from Kenwyne Jones