If Sunderland are to win against Blackpool on Saturday and claim only their third away victory of the season, they will have to find somewhere else to score goals from. Darren Bent scored 32 of Sunderland’s 74 goals since the English hit man joined the club in the summer of 2009.
Last season he scored exactly half of the club’s goals and this season he was also their leading scorer in the league.
Asamoah Gyan will be the man charged with the task of scoring the bulk of Sunderland’s goals now that Bent has left, however without the ever-impressive Welbeck available Gyan could find his chances hard to come by.
Home Form Must Improve
Blackpool have won less points at home than any other club this season and this is no small part due to the small amount of goals they have scored at Bloomfield Road. Only Birmingham City, Everton and Wigan Athletic have scored less goals at home.
Blackpool’s comfortable mid-table position this season is mainly due to their impressive away form which has seen them win five times away from Bloomfield Road. Only Manchester City and Arsenal have won more games away from home this season in the Premier League.
Sunderland’s away form has been poor this season, winning only twice and Blackpool will be looking to take advantage of the Black Cats' vulnerability without Darren Bent leading the line.
TEAM NEWS
Blackpool
Richard Kingson will continue in the Blackpool goal as first-choice keeper Matt Gilks is still not quite ready to return from a long-term knee injury. The game also comes too soon for striker Marlon Harewood who has been sidelined since November. Other long-term absentees include Chris Basham, Malaury Martin and Billy Clarke.
With no new injury concerns Ian Holloway’s side virtually picks itself, such has been the consistency of his team selection this season.
Holloway has yet to improve his team in January and will stick with the same squad that has performed admirably so far in their first season in the Premier League. He has had to fend off interest from Aston Villa for influential skipper Charlie Adam this week, with Holloway insisting the player is going nowhere in January.
Possible starting XI: Kingson; Eardley, Cathcart, Evatt, Crainey; Grandin, Adam, Vaughan; Taylor-Fletcher, Campbell, Varney.
Sunderland
Lee Cattermole faces a late fitness test after he missed the team’s previous two games but Steve Bruce will give his skipper every chance to prove is fitness. Michael Turner, John Mensah, David Meyler and Fraizer Campbell are all still sidelined with long-term injuries.
Following the shock departure of Darren Bent, Sunderland have lost their most potent scoring threat. As well as his permanent departure, Danny Welbeck faces six weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury. Bent and Welbeck scored 14 of the team’s 26 league goals this season which will place more pressure on summer signing Asamoah Gyan to lead the line.
Possible starting XI: Gordon; Onouha, Ferdinand, Bramble, Bardsley; Malbranque, Henderson, Zenden, Cattermole, Richardson; Gyan.
Prediction
Blackpool 2-2 Sunderland
