Championship Preview: Sunderland vs Sheffield Wednesday - Analysis and Insights

The second gameweek of the Championship season sees promotion touted Sunderland take on early table toppers Sheffield Wednesday at the Stadium of Light at midday on sunday.

Both teams won their first games of the season to nil, and a win for either side here will indicate their early credentials to challenge for the play-off spots, or even automatic promotion.

Heading to Sunderland this weekend!

⏪ It was a memorable win on our last visit to the Stadium of Light#swfc | #SUNSHW pic.twitter.com/pmcNLwK0CR

— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) August 16, 2024

As the game approaches, we take a dive into both sides, examining potential strategies, players and absences that could have a significant bearing on the game.

Sunderland vs Sheffield Wednesday Pre-season Form

Both sides come into this game off the back of victories in their respective first league games of the season, but their pre-season form was inconsistent.

Sunderland won three friendlies, but also drew two and lost two. They beat South Shields (5-0), Eldense (2-1) and Blackpool (1-0), but lost to lower league opposition in Gateshead and Bradford City by a scoreline of 2-1.

However, their best results of pre-season were actually draws. They kept out Nottingham Forest to hold on for a 1-1 draw, before taking the game to Marseille to come away with a 2-2 draw, an impressive result against the French big guns.

Sheffield Wednesday played fewer games in preseason, taking part in 5 in total, and winning just one against minnows Alfreton. However, one of their defeats was to Red Bull Salzburg, a team levels above their quality, and the other was against Worksop in which they fielded a radically rotated team.

They also managed to pick up draws against Bremen and Leganes, two impressive results for a Championship team.

Sunderland then won their season opener against Cardiff City 2-0, while Sheffield Wednesday also emerged 4-0 victors against Plymouth, backing that up with a 2-1 victory against a talented Hull City side in the Carabao Cup.

A trademark Jack Clarke goal to double Sunderland's lead! 🔴⚪ pic.twitter.com/WX9o91wtXs

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) August 10, 2024

Sunderland did not have such luck in the domestic competition, losing 2-0 to Preston North End, with new signing Alan Browne left in the awkward position of being defeated by his previous club.

While it is too early to take significant conclusions from their form, Sheffield have certainly started the new season meaning business, and will pose a stern challenge to a promising Sunderland side.

Sunderland vs Sheffield Wednesday Goal Scorers

Over the course of the summer, Sunderland managed to keep a hold of highly rated midfielder Jack Clarke, who topped their goalscoring charts last season with 15 Championship goals, eight more than his next nearest teammate Jobe Bellingham.

Having already got his name on the scoresheet in their victory over Cardiff, Jack Clarke’s form continues to impress, and should he excel this season, he could eventually earn himself a move to the top flight, assuming Sunderland don’t make it there first.

Ike Ugbo, Sheffield Wednesday’s top scorer last season with 11 goals, made his loan move from Troyes permanent over the summer. His goals last season almost single handedly saved them from relegation last season, as they ended up finishing in 20th, three points clear of the drop zone.

🚨🚨| CONFIRMED:

Sheffield Wednesday have signed Ike Ugbo! ✅️✍️#SWFC

pic.twitter.com/fCcwoCqrzb

— FootballMania (@FootballMania91) August 8, 2024

While he didn’t play in their opening fixture due to some paperwork regarding his transfer being incomplete, fellow forward Josh Windass did, indicating that this season Sheffield Wednesday could benefit from more reliable sources of goal up front.

Sunderland vs Sheffield Wednesday Head to Head

The two sides have a very equal recent head to head, winning two fixtures apiece while drawing one more. It makes predicting which way this one will go almost impossible, even more so when the old saying “anything can happen in the Championship” is considered.

Last five results between the two: 04/05/2024: Sunderland 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday. 29/09/2023: Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Sunderland. 10/08/2022: Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 Sunderland. 09/05/2022: Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Sunderland. 06/05/2022: Sunderland 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday.

Sunderland vs Sheffield Wednesday Team News

Sunderland maintain a virtually clean bill of health, but will be without Dan Ballard, who picked up an injury in the opening weekend of pre-season and has not played a minute since. However, with the majority of the side fit and ready for action, they shouldn’t struggle to pick a dangerous side.

Sheffield Wednesday have a similarly available squad, as Ike Ugbo can now take part in games thanks to his move from France being finalized. However, Nathaniel Chalobah, who was signed on a free transfer after his West Brom contract expired, is unlikely to be available thanks to a minor impact injury at the end of pre-season.

Sunderland vs Sheffield Wednesday Predicted Lineups

Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Patterson (GK), Hume, O’Nien, Alese, Cirkin, Browne, Neil, Rigg, Bellingham, Clarke, Mayenda.

Sheffield Wednesday (4-2-3-1): Beadle, Valery, Iorfa, Bernard, Lowe, Ingelsson, Bannan, Gassama, Windass, Musaba, Ugbo.

Sunderland vs Sheffield Wednesday Player to Watch

Mentioned earlier, Sunderland’s Jack Clarke is the obvious player to keep an eye on. With an appetite for goals despite playing in the midfield, Clarke’s impressive total of 19 goals and assists in 40 Championship games last season tells you everything you need to know.

Thoughts for today:

Jack Clarke is a Premier League quality player and Sunderland fans deserve to be Premier League. Top class. pic.twitter.com/RQv5do3wWl

— Luke (@smishking) August 10, 2024

Fearless on the ball, and decisive when it matters most, Clarke has everything in his tool kit to succeed in the Championship and beyond, and having been linked with a number of top tier sides, a move to the top division may not be very far away.

Where can I watch Sunderland vs Sheffield Wednesday?

The game will not be shown on UK TV, but live text commentary will be available on any livescores app of your choosing, ensuring you stay updated on every kick of the ball.