Two clubs in the bottom half of the Premier League table will do battle today in a league match between Sunderland and Hull City. The first-division clash scheduled for 10 a.m. ET will be held at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland and can be live streamed here free.
What They're Saying
Sunderland manager Gus Poyet (via the Guardian): "To ask footballers to play this many games in December is unreasonable. It's quite crazy. We could start the season earlier, finish it later and keep the tradition of playing on Boxing Day or even New Year's Day, but then we stop. The England team would be much, much better in July and August. Other nations fit winter breaks around World Cups. It's only England that doesn't."
Hull City manager Steve Bruce (via the Mirror): "The one thing this game always does is test you to the limit. I don't enjoy seeing my team at the bottom of the league, but I quite enjoy the challenge of getting them out of that situation."
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: Jozy Altidore's future at Sunderland remains a question mark, and for good reason. The 25-year-old is yet to open his league account in 10 appearances and has failed to impress since joining the side. With a congested holiday schedule ahead, look for Altidore to receive one final opportunity to impress before the January transfer window.
Sunderland's Projected Lineup (4-1-4-1): Pantilimon; O'Shea, Brown, Coates, Vergini; Cattermole; Buckley, Gomez, Larsson, Johnson; Altidore
Hull City's Projected Lineup (3-5-2): Harper; Bruce, Davies, Chester; Robertson, Quinn, Meyler, Ramirez, Elmohamady; Hernandez, Jelavic
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (statistics and lineups via WhoScored).
Standings
| Rnk | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | +/- | Pts | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 17 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 38 | 13 | 25 | 42 | |||
| 2 | Manchester City | 17 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 36 | 14 | 22 | 39 | |||
| 3 | Manchester United | 17 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 30 | 18 | 12 | 32 | |||
| 4 | West Ham United | 17 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 29 | 19 | 10 | 31 | |||
| 5 | Southampton | 17 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 28 | 13 | 15 | 29 | |||
| 6 | Arsenal | 17 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 30 | 21 | 9 | 27 | |||
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 17 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 22 | 23 | -1 | 27 | |||
| 8 | Swansea City | 17 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 19 | 3 | 25 | |||
| 9 | Newcastle United | 17 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 18 | 23 | -5 | 23 | |||
| 10 | Liverpool | 17 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 21 | 24 | -3 | 22 | |||
| 11 | Everton | 17 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 21 | |||
| 12 | Aston Villa | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 21 | -10 | 20 | |||
| 13 | Stoke City | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 23 | -5 | 19 | |||
| 14 | Sunderland | 17 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 15 | 24 | -9 | 19 | |||
| 15 | West Bromwich Albion | 17 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 23 | -6 | 17 | |||
| 16 | Queens Park Rangers | 17 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 20 | 32 | -12 | 17 | |||
| 17 | Crystal Palace | 17 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 19 | 27 | -8 | 15 | |||
| 18 | Burnley | 17 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 26 | -14 | 15 | |||
| 19 | Hull City | 17 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 24 | -9 | 13 | |||
| 20 | Leicester City | 17 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 29 | -14 | 10 |
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