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Score Predictions: Can Sunderland clip the Eagles’ wings this afternoon?

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Martin Wanless predicts...

Score prediction: Palace 1 Sunderland 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Habib Diarra

I’d absolutely snap your arm off and break your legs while I’m at it for a point away at Palace today.

Despite perceptions, they’re doing well. They’ve not lost a Premier League game since April and beat Aston Villa away last time out.

But I think we’ve got enough about us to face the challenge — the big question of course is how players come back after international duty. Fingers crossed for a point and a first goal for Diarra.

Habib Diarra will be a key figure at AFCON 2025. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

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‘The Champion’ Malc Dugdale predicts...

Score prediction: Palace 1 Sunderland 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Eliezer Mayenda

Mayenda has had a good start to the season and despite the addition of new blood and Wilson Isidor’s form, I think he’ll both start for us and get us a goal.

Palace have had a solid if not spectacular start to the season, winning the Charity Shield against Liverpool and then drawing more often than not — although they had an impressive away win at Villa before the international break.

We would be happy with an away draw to a team who got into Europe last season through their cup win, and who on their day can surprise anyone — just as we can.

1-1, no injuries, a decent run out for some of the new boys, and I’ll be a happy lad come Match of the Day tonight!

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - AUGUST 30: Eliezer Mayenda of Sunderland arrives prior to the Premier League match between Sunderland and Brentford at Stadium of Light on August 30, 2025 in Sunderland, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images)

Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Jack Howe-Gingell predicts...

Score prediction: Palace 1 Sunderland 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Granit Xhaka

In a season of big tests each week, this is our biggest one so far. Crystal Palace are fully ingrained Premier League side, the FA Cup holders and tough opponents to beat at home.

They’re a physical outfit with a number of talented players, even with the departure of one time Sunderland triallist Ebere Eze, and there’s no question that we’ll need our best performance so far to get something.

A lot of our lads have been away on international duty so will have kept sharp, if not a little tired, but the same can be said of Palace. That’s the life now we’re back in the big time!

I think we’ll give them a real game as our lads are quick and not afraid of a physical challenge, which has been clear from the effort shown by the likes of Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra. Equally, we now have additional support in the form of Bryan Brobbey, Bertrand Traoré, and Lutsharel Geertuida.

I’m pleased that proper football is back, and I hope we can leave the capital with something to extend our positive start.

Granit Xhaka of Sunderland AFC stands at the full-time whistle during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Brentford at the Stadium Of Light in Sunderland, England, on August 30, 2025. (Photo by Scott Llewellyn/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

NurPhoto via Getty Images

Will Jones predicts...

Score prediction: Palace 1 Sunderland 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Habib Diarra

This is the kind of fixture that tells you where you really stand.

Palace away is never easy; they’ve got a strong home record, a noisy crowd, and a midfield that knows how to control the tempo. We’ll need to be compact, disciplined, and ready to take our chances when they come, because we won’t see much of the ball.

That said, we’ve got weapons of our own. Diarra’s been growing into his role with every game and I think this is the one where he makes a real mark. He’s got the engine, the aggression and the knack for arriving late in the box, and I’m backing him to get us off the mark.

Palace will likely dominate possession and create plenty, but I think we’ll dig in and find a way to leave South London with something. A hard-earned point, a goal from Diarra, and another step forward in a season that’s already starting to feel like it could be special.

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - AUGUST 16: Habib Diarra of Sunderland celebrates during the Premier League match between Sunderland and West Ham United at Stadium of Light on August 16, 2025 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

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Matty Foster predicts...

Score prediction: Palace 1 Sunderland 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Enzo Le Fée

International breaks are such a drag, but we’re finally back to normality. Every week is a tough game, and this week is no different.

I have a lot of time for Crystal Palace and their fans. They had an amazing year last season, and even with the loss of Ebere Eze, they’re such a strong side.

Like any away game this season, a draw would be a great result and a win would be a bonus.

I’m going to choose my heart over my head here — not with a win, but to leave Selhurst Park with a share of the spoils.

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - AUGUST 30: Enzo Le Fee of Sunderland celebrates scoring his team’s first goal from the penalty spot during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Brentford at Stadium of Light on August 30, 2025 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

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Anthony Gair predicts...

Score prediction: Palace 0 Sunderland 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Bryan Brobbey

I’m not as confident about this one as I was the last, but you’ll find that it’ll take a disaster or two for me to predict a defeat!

However, I do think Palace will underestimate us. The always appear to turn up against the big teams and those at the top end of the Premier League, but the reason they usually end the season as also-rans is because they get complacent about the teams who are supposed to be in and around the bottom.

I’ve chosen Brobbey as the only scorer of the game, and it’ll either come late on after he’s come off the bench, or early on in the second half, as he endears himself to our travelling support.

Either way, I hope I’m right with the result!

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 2: < at The Academy of Light on September 2, 2025 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images)" data-chromatic="ignore" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="w91vxg0" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 100vw, (max-width: 1023px) 50vw, 700px" srcset="https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=256 256w, https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=376 376w, https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=384 384w, https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=415 415w, https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=480 480w, https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=540 540w, https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=640 640w, https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=750 750w, https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=828 828w, https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=1080 1080w, https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=1200 1200w, https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=1440 1440w, https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=1920 1920w, https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=2048 2048w, https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=2400 2400w" src="https://platform.rokerreport.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2025/09/gettyimages-2233489724.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=2400">

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 2: <> at The Academy of Light on September 2, 2025 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images)

Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Gary Winter predicts...

Score prediction: Palace 2 Sunderland 0

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: No scorer

It’a great to have six points on the board heading into the next set of fixtures that feels like a tier up in quality of opponents. We’ve built up some serious momentum at home — the atmosphere is tremendous, ’Til The End continues to be the theme and is engrained in this team who ever is on the pitch, and the results are there.

Away from home, we’re going to have to pick up some points but unfortunately I can’t see it starting at Selhurst Park. Crystal Palace are a very good team and perhaps at the level we want to be targeting and stabilising at. Strong outings against Liverpool, Chelsea and Villa lead me to believe this test will be beyond us at this point in the season, but that won’t define our season in any way.

I think we’ll have to start creating more chances to take points, as we’re heavily reliant on likely unsustainable efficiency in the final third.

Regis Le Bris manages Sunderland AFC during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Brentford at the Stadium Of Light in Sunderland, England, on August 30, 2025. (Photo by Scott Llewellyn/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

NurPhoto via Getty Images

Brett Lyons-Davis predicts...

Score prediction: Palace 1 Sunderland 2

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Wilson Isidor

Even with my glass overflowing when it comes to predicting these, this will be a tough game in South London.

The Eagles are a very strong team at home having not lost at Selhurst Park since January. Backed by their Ultras and despite what you think of them, it’s always one of the Premier League grounds with a decent bit of atmosphere.

However, if we learned anything from last season, it was that records are there to be broken. So the Lads will run out 1-2 winners — with big Wilson carrying on his decent start to the season.

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - AUGUST 30: Wilson Isidor of Sunderland celebrates with Granit Xhaka after scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Brentford at Stadium of Light on August 30, 2025 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

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Last time out…

It was another case of the Lads pulling out a late late winner at home to Brentford before the international pause, and I have to admit when we went 0-1 behind, I was wondering whether we could get anything out of the game.

However, games change and pivot on huge moments, and when Robin Roefs saved their penalty and we scored ours, the weight of the game swung massively in our favour before new dad Wilson Isidor popped up to score a goal and secure a very different hat trick: a birthday, newborn baby and a goal all in the same week.

Today. we travel to London and will face a very different challenge, but I’m starting to trust these lads to get something from any situation, so we have to hope they can continue their solid start to our Premier League return and head back to Wearside with something.

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - AUGUST 30: Wilson Isidor of Sunderland celebrates after the team’s victory in the Premier League match between Sunderland and Brentford at Stadium of Light on August 30, 2025 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

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Last game predictions

No less than six of the lads called a home win, which was a big call after the disappointments we had seen in the penalties cup loss to Huddersfield and the away loss to Burnley, but they all got it right and are rewarded for their faith.

Best of the bunch before the England team busted our momentum were Jack and Will, who got the correct score but missed out thinking Enzo Le Fée would begin our comeback as our penalty taker.

Matty and Gair got nothing by calling a draw and also not seeing Enzo push the net back first.

As can be seen above, today’s forecasts are a bit more conservative, which can be expected when we are still finding our feet and are facing a team who turned over Liverpool (via penalties) at the start of the season to win the Charity Shield.

Predictions Table and Standings

Brett stays top of the table but is now joined by Jack, with Gair dropping into joint third.

Last season’s champ Malc will be hoping to make a surge up the table soon, as will Matty, who’s propping it all up on one point.

A long, long way to go, though.

How the points are awarded

Just a quick reminder of how we allocate points to our match-by-match predictions:

Correct score = Three points

Correct outcome (but not correct score) = One point

Correct first Sunderland goalscorer = One point (no goalscorer is a valid call)

Possible deductions for being lazy and not submitting on time = a two-point deduction.

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