SUNDERLAND v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 12 JANUARY 2013
KICK-OFF: 3PM
REFEREE: NEIL SWARBRICK
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Introduction
• West Ham United travel to Sunderland for their third game of 2013 and their second in the Barclays Premier League. Sam Allardyce's side are unbeaten thus far this calendar year, having recorded a 2-1 Premier League win at home to Norwich City on New Year's Day and a thrilling 2-2 draw with Manchester United in the FA Cup with Budweiser third round last time out.
• Marouane Chamakh could be in line to make his Hammers' debut after signing on loan from Arsenal. The striker was registered too late to play against Manchester United, but fellow new boy Joe Cole did start and marked his second 'debut' with two assists. The Academy graduate is expected to now make his second Premier League 'debut' against the Black Cats.
• The two teams last met in the Premier League at the Boleyn Ground in September, when Kevin Nolan's late strike rewarded some strong second-half pressure from the home side. Steven Fletcher had put Martin O'Neill's side up in the first half.
• Headed goals may be a premium on Saturday as Sunderland have scored the lowest percentage of goals from headers in the Premier League this season (10%) and have also conceded the lowest percentage of headed goals (3%). West Ham, meanwhile, have conceded just three goals from set plays this season, fewer than any other team.
• Jussi Jaaskelainen has the second highest shots-to-saves ratio in the Premier League this season (77%). Only Swansea City's Gerhard Tremmel has better (81%), but he has made just eleven appearances compared to Jaaskelainen's 20.
• Sunderland have won just three of their last 14 Premier League games at the Stadium of Light, including only two out of eleven this season.
• Nolan has scored more goals against Sunderland than he has managed against any other opponent in his Premier League career (six). As well as the equaliser at the Boleyn Ground, he scored a hat-trick against the Black Cats while on duty for Newcastle United in a 5-1 win back in October 2010.
• West Ham United's clash with Sunderland is one of seven Barclays Premier League games on Saturday, the others are as follows: Queens Park Rangers v Tottenham Hotspur (12:45pm), Reading v West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City v Chelsea, Norwich City v Newcastle United, Fulham v Wigan Athletic, Everton v Swansea City, Aston Villa v Southampton
Last time out
Saturday 5 January 2013
FA Cup with Budweiser third round
West Ham United 2-2 Manchester United
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen; Demel, Collins, Tomkins, Potts, Vaz Te (Jarvis 60), Collison, Diarra (Noble 73), J Cole (Taylor 78), Nolan, C Cole
Booked: Collison
Goals: Collins 27, 59
Saturday 5 January 2013
FA Cup with Budweiser third round
Bolton Wanderers 2-2 Sunderland
Sunderland: Mignolet, Bardsley, Rose (Colback 19) Cuellar (Wickham 58), Bramble, Larsson, Gardner, Vaughan, Johnson, McClean, Fletcher~
Subs not used: Westwood, Campbell, McFadden, Kilgallon.
Goals: Wickham 60, Gardner 75
Previous meeting
• West Ham's last meeting with Sunderland was on 22 September 2012 at the Boleyn Ground. The Hammers were on top for much of the game, but it looked as though Sunderland would sneak an away victory though Steven Fletcher's ninth-minute opener. That was until the 93rd minute, though, when Kevin Nolan finished on the turn to spark wild celebrations. The line-ups that day were:
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Reid, Collins, O'Brien, Noble, Diame, Nolan, Taylor (Benayoun 57), Vaz Te (Jarvis 57), Cole
Subs: Henderson, Tomkins, Maiga, McCartney, O'Neil
Goal: Nolan 90
Sunderland: Mignolet, Gardner, Bramble, O'Shea, Rose, Cattermole, Larsson, Colback, McClean, Sessegnon, Fletcher
Subs: Westwood, Kilgallon, Vaughan, Meyler, Campbell, Wickham, Saha
Goal: Fletcher 9
Background
• West Ham United have faced Sunderland 83 times in official competitions, winning 32, drawing 21 and losing 30.
• The first meeting between the two sides came on Saturday 25 August 1923 in the old Division One and ended in a goalless draw at Roker Park.
• West Ham United's biggest win over Sunderland came in the shape of an 8-0 Division One success at the Boleyn Ground on 19 October 1968. Geoff Hurst scored six goals - including a hat-trick in each half - while Bobby Moore and a young Trevor Brooking added one apiece. No other Hammers player has scored a hat-trick against the Black Cats.
• West Ham's biggest ever win away at Sunderland came on 9 September 1967, when goals from Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst (two), Harry Redknapp and Bobby Moore helped them to a 5-1 victory.
• Sunderland's biggest win over West Ham United came on 5 March 1977, when the Black Cats romped to a 6-0 Division One victory over the Londoners at Roker Park. Their best performance in east London was a 3-0 Division One triumph on 25 April 1931.
• West Ham United have won five out of the previous ten league meetings and six out of eleven in all competitions with Sunderland, but the Black Cats scored a Premier League 'double' in 2010/11.
• Nolan scored a hat-trick for Newcastle United in a 5-1 Tyne-Wear derby Premier League win over Sunderland at St James' Park on 31 October 2010. Andy Carroll also started the match for the Magpies.
• West Ham United forward Modibo Maiga, who is on African Cup of Nations Final duty, was a team-mate of Sunderland midfielder Stephane Sessegnon at French side Le Mans UC72 during the 2007/08 season.
• A number of West Ham United and Sunderland players have appeared together for other clubs, including James Collins, Carlos Cuellar and Craig Gardner (Aston Villa), Andy Carroll and Titus Bramble (Newcastle United), Matt Jarvis and Steven Fletcher (Wolverhampton Wanderers) and George Moncur and Billy Knott (AFC Wimbledon).
• Hammers midfielder Mohamed Diame was signed by Wigan Athletic from Spanish club Rayo Vallecano as a replacement for Sunderland-bound Lee Cattermole in August 2009.
• Future Hammers manager Harry Redknapp made his West Ham United debut in a 1-1 Division One draw with Sunderland at the Boleyn Ground on 23 August 1965.
• Ray Atteveld made his Hammers debut in a 1-1 FA Cup fifth-round draw at Sunderland on 15 February 1992. The Dutchman, on loan from Everton, would make two of his three West Ham United appearances against the Black Cats, the final one being a 3-2 FA Cup fifth-round replay defeat at the Boleyn Ground.
• George Andrew (February 1967), Jimmy Neighbour (September 1979), Chris Cohen (December 2003), Lionel Scaloni (February 2006) and Nolberto Solano (October 2007) also made their West Ham United debuts against Sunderland.
Last six meetings
(Premier League unless stated)
22 September 2012 - West Ham United 1-1 Sunderland
22 May 2011- West Ham United 0-3 Sunderland
5 December 2010 - Sunderland 1-0 West Ham United
21 September 2010 - Sunderland 1-2 West Ham United (Carling Cup third round)
10 April 2010 - West Ham United 1-0 Sunderland
31 October 2009 - Sunderland 2-2 West Ham United
Overall record v Sunderland (all competitions) W 32 D 21 L 30
Ten-year record
West Ham United
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
Sunderland
2011/12 Premier League 13th (45 points)
2010/11 Premier League 10th (47 points)
2009/10 Premier League 13th (44 points)
2008/09 Premier League 16th (36 points)
2007/08 Premier League 15th (39 points)
2006/07 Championship 1st (88 points - promoted to Premier League)
2005/06 Premier League 20th (15 points - relegated to Championship)
2004/05 Championship 1st (94 points - promoted to Premier League)
2003/04 Championship 3rd (79 points)
2002/03 Premier League 20th (19 points)
Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Neil Swarbrick
• Swarbrick began refereeing at the age of 29 and within six years he had been promoted to the National List of assistant referees in 2005.
• Now 42, Swarbrick made his way up the leagues via the Football Conference and the npower Football League before receiving his first Barclays Premier League appointment on 11 December 2010. He was officially promoted to the Select Group of top-flight referees in June 2011.
• This will be his second West Ham United game this season, after being the man in the middle for the 4-1 win at home to Southampton on Saturday 20 October.
• He had taken charge of three West Ham United fixtures before that, the most recent being the 2-0 npower Championship Play-Off semi-final first-leg win at Cardiff City on 3 May 2012.
Team news
West Ham United
• Marouane Chamakh could make his debut for the Hammers after signing on loan from Arsenal. Joe Cole is likely to make his second Premier League 'debut' after arriving from Liverpool after impressing against Manchester United.
• Sam Allardyce is expected to make a number of changes after a host of regular first-teamers missed the Manchester United game to help avoid fatigue. However, the likes of Dan Potts, James Tomkins and Alou Diarra will be hoping to keep their places for the Sunderland match after impressing against the Red Devils.
• Winston Reid, Mark Noble, Matt Taylor, Matt Jarvis and Gary O'Neil will all be hoping to earn a recall after missing out on a start last Saturday.
• Joey O'Brien is still struggling with his hamstring injury and if he fails to recover, Potts is the most likely to step in.
• Modibo Maiga will definitely be missing after he travelled away to Mali for the Africa Cup of Nations finals in South Africa.
• Mohamed Diame and Andy Carroll are both near to a return to light training, leaving only George McCartney as the only long-term absentee.
Sunderland
• Sunderland will be without defender Wes Brown and midfielder Lee Cattermole (both knee), while left-back Danny Rose and centre-backs John O'Shea and Carlos Cuellar (both hamstring) could also miss the game. O'Shea did return to training on Thursday, however.
• Attacking midfielder Stephane Sessegnon is hoping to be available after suffering an ankle problem.
• France Under-21 midfielder Alfred 'Diaye could make his Black Cats debut after joining from Turkish club Bursaspor in midweek if international clearance is received in time.
Old boys
• George McCartney has enjoyed two spells with Sunderland. The Northern Irishman initially moved to the north east as a 17-year-old in 1998, quickly establishing himself in the first team and captaining the Black Cats to promotion to the Premier League and being voted Player of the Year in 2005. In all, he made 157 appearances for Sunderland before joining West Ham United in 2006. After two seasons, the left-back returned to the Stadium of Light to make a further 46 appearances before re-joining the Hammers, initially on loan, in August 2011.
• Sunderland defender Matt Kilgallon made four appearances for West Ham United on loan from Leeds United between August and November 2003.
• Bryan 'Pop' Robson spent two spells with West Ham United and three with hometown club Sunderland. Robson, who started his career with Newcastle United, netted 104 goals in 254 appearances for the Hammers and 67 in 174 games for Sunderland - scoring in a 2-0 win over Leicester City in his final Black Cats appearance in May 1984 that kept the club in the old Division One.
• Don Hutchison enjoyed two spells with West Ham United, netting 17 times in 110 matches. The Scotland midfielder also represented Sunderland during the 2000/01 season, scoring an impressing ten goals in 39 games.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Dick Bell, Gary Breen, Clive Clarke, Keith Coleman, Ernest England, Anton Ferdinand, John Foreman, Harry Forster, Jack Foster, Harry Hooper, Mick McGiven, Andy Melville, Billy Moore and Dave Swindlehurst.
General Information
• Tickets will be available on the day at the Stadium of Light. For the latest ticket information, click here.
• The weather forecast for Saturday is for light rain with maximum temperatures reaching 4C (40F).