He may be a Newcastle United legend, but even Alan Shearer can’t resist a positive prediction for Sunderland’s upcoming fixture.
Sunderland and Everton are the last to kick off this weekend, with a Monday night game at the Stadium of Light putting all eyes on the Black Cats and the Toffees.
Given their current rate of points-per-game, Sunderland are on track for their best-ever season in the Premier League. At the very least, it looks like Regis Le Bris can keep the Mackems in the division, which no one expected at the start of the season.
[
Click to subscribe to the podcast ](https://www.youtube.com/@BeyondTheBackFour?sub_confirmation=1)
Everton, meanwhile, have been fairly inconsistent. However, David Moyes’ side will be eager to bounce back from that crushing 3-0 defeat at home to Tottenham last weekend.
So, which team will come away the happier from Monday’s clash? We’ve rounded up the thoughts of all the top pundits, as well as the verdict from a popular football computer game, to decipher who the favourite is ahead of the match.
Paul Merson laughs ahead of a Premier League clash between Manchester City and Arsenal
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Alan Shearer and Paul Merson predict Sunderland vs Everton score
If you’re a Sunderland fan, you’ll be hoping Alan Shearer is on the money for once. The Newcastle icon has backed the Black Cats to bag three points again in gameweek ten.
Writing for the Metro, Shearer said: “It was a poor result last weekend for Everton. Sunderland are at home, and it’s always going to be tough. They will make it tough. Everton will be up against it, so I’ll go for a home win, because of Sunderland’s form.”
Likewise, Merson had plenty of positive things to say about Sunderland in his column for Sportskeeda, and suggested home advantage will win the day for the Black Cats.
“This is a tough game for Everton. I was impressed by Sunderland during their win over Chelsea,” Merson said. “I thought that was a great all-round performance. Sunderland defended well, broke with pace and found the right passes to hurt Chelsea. It has been nothing short of an incredible return to the Premier League for them.
“Everton haven’t been great away from home. I can’t believe what I’m about to predict here but I’m still going to do it. Sunderland to win this! I know this is a game that can come back to haunt me because at some point, Sunderland will start losing games. If that happens this weekend, then you look at this prediction and think, ‘why did he even back Sunderland against the quality Everton have in attack?’
“If Everton play to the best of their abilities, there’s a chance. But purely based on form and how Sunderland beat Chelsea, I’m going to back them. 2-1 to Sunderland.”
Another three points would maintain Sunderland’s unbelievable start to the season, putting them on 20 points already. If we assume 40 points is the target for survival, the Wearside outfit would be well on their way to that initial goal.
Chris Sutton looks on during Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest
Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Chris Sutton expects tough game for Sunderland
It may not be quite as easy as that, though. Chris Sutton believes the game could go either way and thinks a share of the spoils is the more likely outcome.
He said: “I am torn here. I am always wrong about Sunderland and I know that means I have got a large fanbase on Wearside. Because of that, I don’t want to jinx the Black Cats by saying they will win… but it is also hard to make a case for Everton getting anything.
“Hill Dickinson Stadium should be a fortress for them this season, but Tottenham didn’t have too much trouble there last Sunday with a 3-0 win. David Moyes’ side really need to respond after that defeat but what he needs more than anything as he goes back to one of his former clubs is a finisher.
“Beto misses so many chances, but I am backing him to put his boots on the right feet this week and score to grab his side a point. I’ll go for a 1-1 draw.”
Funnily enough, the BBC Sport article also included score predictions put together by Football Manager 26, and the computer game forecasts a disastrous 4-0 defeat for Sunderland. That prediction also includes a red card for Luke O’Nien, which would be quite the Premier League debut for the Sunderland stalwart.
Given Sunderland’s recent record against Everton, Le Bris will be hoping his team can actually score on Monday night for the first time in three meetings against the Toffees. If they can do that, anything is possible.
For more Premier League score predictions, check out what Graeme Bailey and Mark Clattenburg expect for the games ahead, including a draw between Sunderland and Everton.