Sunderland v Blackpool Match Preview

This is the first top-flight meeting of these clubs since January 1967, when Tom Jones topped the charts with Green Grass Of Home. The Stadium of Light has been a source of comfort for Sunderland all season, yet Blackpool's players will be delighted simply to play on turf once more.

"Blackpool haven't played of late so they'll be fresh as daisies. The players know we have to be at our maximum if we are to keep our excellent home record going" - Sunderland manager Steve Bruce

Boxing Day was Groundhog Day for The Seasiders, whose scheduled game with Liverpool became the third successive fixture at Bloomfield Road to fall foul of the freezing temperatures.

The trip to Sunderland will therefore be Blackpool's first competitive match since 11 December, and they will not be fazed by the prospect of facing a side unbeaten at home. Only Manchester City and Arsenal have won more away matches than the four registered by Blackpool.

Sunderland narrowly avoided a mauling at Manchester United on Boxing Day, and manager Steve Bruce has challenged his players to make amends for what he admits is a defining part of the season. They are seventh in the table at the halfway point of the campaign, so European qualification is a realistic target.

• This is the first meeting of these clubs since March 1988. That match ended in a 2-2 draw at Sunderland in the old Third Division.

• Blackpool have not won in their last 10 visits to Sunderland since a 4-1 top-flight victory in February 1958 (D2, L8).

• They have won their last eight Premier League matches against promoted teams at the Stadium of Light.

• Sunderland are unbeaten at home this season and have lost only one of their last 19 matches on Wearside.

• They have kept an unsurpassed nine clean sheets in 19 Premier League matches this season.

• If fit, Kieran Richardson could make his 150th club start.

• The Seasiders' only defeat in their last seven matches was when they made 10 changes to the starting line-up at Aston Villa (W3, D3, L1).

• They are unbeaten in their last three Premier League away matches, keeping two clean sheets.

• Blackpool have scored six goals from outside the penalty area, more than any other side in the top flight.

Sunderland (L0-2 v Man Utd, a): Gordon; Onuoha, Ferdinand, Elmohamady, Bardsley, Malbranque (Cook 82), Henderson, Riveros, Zenden (Angeleri 88), Bent (Meyler 69), Gyan. Subs not used: Mignolet, Da Silva, Adams, Reed.

Blackpool (W1-0 v Stoke, a): Kingson; Eardley, Cathcart, Evatt, Crainey, Grandin (Phillips 80), Adam, Vaughan, Taylor-Fletcher, Campbell, Varney. Subs not used: Halstead, Carney, Southern, Ormerod, Euell, Edwards.

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway admits it feels like they have been going through their very own Groundhog Day during the recent cold snap.

The Seasiders have had their last three home matches - against Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool - called off because Bloomfield Road does not have undersoil heating.

Snow and ice in the north west have also meant Holloway has had to come up with some creative solutions to allow training just to continue, never mind remain challenging for players halfway through their maiden Barclays Premier League season.

The trip to Sunderland may, at last, offer a welcome release to a squad which has not played a competitive match since December 11 - a 1-0 win at Stoke.

"It's like Groundhog Day; we've had three cancellations now. The first everyone played and we didn't," Holloway said. "We are trying to train athletes in this weather but it is ridiculous. Where would you put a racehorse in weather like this? We've tried training on the beach and even that was frozen.

"We've been indoors but the clever thing is we are monitoring what has happened to our lads after we have used certain surfaces. Last year we got two or three injuries by repeating the same surface so we are trying to swap it around and it won't cause a problem for their bodies."

History of the Sunderland v Blackpool fixture

Blackpool travel to take on Sunderland at The Stadium of Light on Tuesday afternoon, needing to turn around their fortunes at the ground. The Seasiders will be hoping to improve upon a record which has seen them lose 17 and win only 5 of the 29 games.

The last time the two teams met at Sunderland was amazingly over twenty years ago, in March 1988, where the two teams cancelled each other out in an enthralling 2 - 2 draw in a Third Division match.

For a detailed analysis of the head-to-head between the two sides, click here

Recent encounters between the teams:
1987/1988	Sat 05 Mar	Sunderland	2 - 2	Blackpool	LGE1
1987/1988	Sat 17 Oct	Blackpool	0 - 2	Sunderland	LGE1
1977/1978	Mon 27 Mar	Blackpool	1 - 1	Sunderland	CHMP
1977/1978	Mon 26 Dec	Sunderland	2 - 1	Blackpool	CHMP
1975/1976	Tue 20 Apr	Blackpool	1 - 0	Sunderland	CHMP
1975/1976	Sat 30 Aug	Sunderland	2 - 0	Blackpool	CHMP
1974/1975	Sat 01 Feb	Blackpool	3 - 2	Sunderland	CHMP

Recent respective form guides

Sunderland are in decent form at home, having won four and drawn two of their last six games, These games have seen the The Black Cats score just 7 goals, though they have conceded 2.

Blackpool have an average recent record on the road, with two wins, two draws, and two defeats. The Seasiders's have scored 7 goals in these games, but conceded an alarming 8.

Sunderland's total of 27 points from their 19 games sees them sitting in the playoff places in Barclays Premier League. Blackpool see themselves just below half way in the Barclays Premier League, showing a record of 22 points from their 16 games played so far,

For a detailed analysis of team form guides throughout the leagues, click here

Current form guides:	P	W	D	L	F	A	P
Sunderland	6	2	2	2	6	7	8
Blackpool	6	2	3	1	9	8	9

Sequence statistics:
Sunderland	Unbeaten in the last 6 home games.
Blackpool	Undefeated in last 3 away games. 5 games since last defeat.