Sunderland – hello again
Burnley face Sunderland tonight in the FA Cup, a 3rd round replay following our 0-0 draw at the Stadium of Light. It will be the third meeting between the two clubs in just a matter of days since we beat them in the Premier League on 31st December.
We already knew we’d be travelling up to Wearside one week after that league game and the draw there means a Turf Moor replay tonight, the first time we’ve staged a replay since 2009. Not as though we’ve been involved in many. Two years ago we lost a 3rd round replay against Spurs at White Hart Lane but previously the last two replays came in that 2008/09 season when we beat QPR and then West Brom in the 3rd and 4th rounds after away draws.
It’s not a competition that’s particularly been good to us over recent years. We reached the 5th round in 2011 but the win at Middlesbrough last season was our only victory in the competition since.
It might, to some, look like an insignificant competition right now but that’s certainly not the case once you’ve won through a couple of rounds, so hopefully we can get through tonight and look forward to a 4th round home tie against Bristol City or Fleetwood who also replay tonight.
Who will play tonight? Neither manager has given anything away but both have hinted at some changes. I’d certainly expect Nick Pope to make a home debut in goal and the likelihood is that some of Tendayi Darikwa, Jon Flanagan, James Tarkowski and Sam Vokes could get starts.
We’ll still be without both Scott Arfield and Johann Berg Gudmundsson because of the hamstring injuries they sustained in the first game at Sunderland although it does look as though Dean Marney will be fit.
The teams at Sunderland were;
Sunderland: Vito Mannone, Javier Manquillo, Jason Denayer, Papy Djilibodji, Patrick van Aanholt, Donald Love, Jack Rodwell, Sebastian Larsson (John O’Shea 84), Fabio Borini, Adnan Januzaj, Jermain Defoe. Subs not used: Mika, Ethan Robson, George Honeyman, Elliot Embleton, Joel Asoro, Josh Maja.
Burnley: Nick Pope, Tendayi Darikwa, Michael Keane, James Tarkowski, Stephen Ward, Johann Berg Gudmundsson (Jeff Hendrick 72), Joey Barton, Steven Defour, Scott Arfield (Michael Kightly 60), Sam Vokes, Andre Gray (Ashley Barnes 72). Subs not used: Paul Robinson, Matt Lowton, Ben Mee, Dean Marney.
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