da esoccer bet： Sunderland welcome Stoke City to the Stadium of Light on Saturday with both sides desperate for a win.
da bet vitoria： The Black Cats are currently bottom of the Premier League with only two points from their opening seven games, while Stoke are the only other side yet to win and sit just one place above them on three points.
David Moyes and Mark Hughes are both under immense pressure to get that elusive first win tokick-start their season and it will be interesting to see how the respective managers set their sides up.
Moyes may well look to youth should he be without key players like Jan Kirchhoff, Lamine Kone and Adnan Januzaj, or decide to rotate after last week’s draw at home to West Bromwich Albion.
Hughes will also be debating shuffling the pack, although he can take some heart from a respectable draw with Manchester United.
Regardless, here are five battles we see as key to the final result on Saturday.
SHAQIRI VS VAN AANHOLT
Xherdan Shaqiri is Stoke’s chief creator and will be hoping to give Patrick Van Aanholt a torrid time when the sides meet on Saturday.
The Swiss international leads the way for Stoke in terms of key passes, managing two per game in his three appearances so far.
The stocky midfielder may well get the better of his Dutch opponent, who much prefers getting forward to defending.
Indeed, the Sunderland full-back may try and spring a surprise of his own by firing a few attempts at the Stoke goal.
ARNAUTOVIC VS MANQUILLO
If any player looks likely to score for Stoke at the moment it’s Marko Arnautovic.
The 27-year-old was the Potters’ top scorer last season and has often looked dangerous even when Mark Hughes’ side are off the boil.
The Austrian was on fire during the international break and found the net twice against Wales.
Arnautovic will be licking his lips at facing Javi Manquillo, with Sunderland conceding 24 chances on the left flank this term – the third highest in the league.
ALLEN VS MCNAIR
Perhaps a more unexpected source of goals, Sunderland will have to keep a close eye on Joe Allen.
The Welshman has scored in his last two Premier League games and hit a rocket against Austria while on international duty.
The 26-year-old has benefited from a more advanced role of late and it will be interesting to see if he can continue his hot form.
With Jan Kirchhoff likely to be sidelined, Paddy McNair may well be given the anchorman role and it will be his responsibility to guard the pockets of space Allen likes to break into.
N’DONG VS WHELAN
Glenn Whelan vs Didier N’Dong is probably the least glamorous duel you’ll see this weekend but it may well decide the result.
With both sides relatively evenly matched, a greater importance will be placed on winning duels and second balls in the middle of the pitch.
Whelan and N’Dong tend to play the role of ball-winner for their respective clubs and both have racked up a large number of interceptions and blocked shots.
Whoever comes out on top on Saturday will have a big say on the final score.
GRANT VS THE ENTIRE SUNDERLAND ATTACK
Lee Grant became the Stoke hero at Old Trafford a couple of weeks ago.
The 33-year-old was superb against the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, pulling of seven saves to keep his side in the game.
With Glen Johnson ruled out and the Stoke defence still in disarray, Grant may well face a deluge of shots again.
Jermain Defoe in particular will test his reactions, but Grant may well find his goal peppered from all angles.