13 alarming stats about Sunderland's home form

The last time the Black Cats won at the Stadium of Light was a 1-0 victory over Watford on Saturday, December 17.

That’s painful enough in its own right, but especially so when you take into account these stats about that abysmal run.

316 days without a home win

Come Saturday, when Bristol City are welcomed to the Stadium of Light it will be 316 days without a home win. 86 per cent of a year. More than 7,500 hours, 450,000 minutes and 27 million seconds.

39 players have featured for Sunderland

From Anichebe to Januzaj to Watmore, 39 players have been used in that time.

Attendances have still averaged more than 35,000

One thing which cannot be questioned is the support, with 598,838 fans - home and away - turning up to lend their support to the ailing side. An average of more than 35,000. That’s what you call loyalty.

One Sunderland goal every 170 minutes

Not that they have had much to celebrate. Nine goals scored from 53 attempts on target. A goal every 170 minutes of football.

Nicklas Bendtner has scored 10 more than Sunderland at home in that time

Lionel Messi has scored 51 times for club and country in that time period. Former Sunderland forward Nicklas Bendtner has hit 19 goals.

And 4 of the 9 Sunderland goals came from the penalty spot

There has been seven different goalscorers. Jermain Defoe, of course, has top scored with three. Four of the nine goals came from penalties, while Wahbi Khazri scored direct from a corner against West Ham United.

The Swansea defeat was a statistical low point

It is hard to pinpoint the nadir, but losing 2-0 to relegation candidates Swansea City despite the Welsh side only have one solitary shot on target takes some beating.

The world’s worst team have fared better than Sunderland at home

The self-proclaimed worst team in the world, Brazilian outfit Íbis Sport, who were entered into the record books for their winless run of three years and 11 months, have even recorded two wins at home since September 17 this year.

At least Sunderland’s away form hasn’t been so bad

The away record has been, in relative terms, considerably better. Five wins have been gleamed, including an incongruous 4-0 win at Crystal Palace.

And it’s still well short of Jack Rodwell’s winless run

The 17 game record is still far short of the Jack Rodwell ‘curse’, when the midfielder went 39 games without a win in a Sunderland shirt.

Derby went 21 home games without a win

After defeating Newcastle United 1-0 in 17 September 2007, Derby County supplied the worst performance in Premier League history, finishing bottom of the league with a measly 11 points. They went 21 home games (39 when away fixtures are added in) in all competitions without a win in 90 minutes.

And Cowdenbeath failed to win at home in 38 games

The Mackems still have some way to go to top Scottish fourth tier side Cowdenbeath who, between the 1992-1993 and 1993-1994 seasons, went 38 home games without a league win until a famous 1-0 win over Arbroath.

How the world was different in December 2016 compared to now:

Donald Trump was still a month away from assuming office as the 45th President of the United States of America.

Fidget spinners once again came to prominence as a children’s toy. A useful item for Sunderland fans to distract themselves from the game.

The Night King now has a dragon in Game of Thrones. While Winter has arrived in Westeros, it has been in place at the Stadium of Light for many a month.

Asamoah Gyan has obtained an air carrier licence with the aim of opening an airline…..called Baby Jet Airlines.

Worstest has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary. Which is apt.