How Sunderland have fared in their six home Saturday 3pm KOs this season

This weekend's match against Queens Park Rangers at the Stadium of Light will be only the seventh time this season Sunderland have played at home in the traditional Saturday 3pm slot.

Despite Sunderland playing 18 times at the Stadium of Light this season, only six of those games have come on Saturday at 3pm with as many as 12 of the Black Cats home games taking place midweek or being selected for TV with rearranged kick off times.

Sunderland have won four of their six Saturday 3pm kick offs to take place at the Stadium of Light this season, losing the other two. The Black Cats have also scored 12 goals compared to the nine conceded in those six games.

Sunderland 2-1 Rotherham

Sunderland’s first win of the season came at home to struggling Rotherham. The Black Cats trailed after 20 minutes when Hakeem Odoffin opened the scoring for the visitors but two goals from summer signing Jobe Bellingham were enough to give the home side all three points.

Sunderland 3-1 Norwich

Jack Clarke was on top form for Sunderland during their 3-1 win over Norwich back in October. The Black Cats top scorer registered a goal and an assist in the game after Sunderland had gone behind to Ui-Jo Hwang’s goal before Trai Hume and Dan Neil both got on the scoresheet before half time to give Sunderland a 2-1 lead at the break. Clarke’s 80th minute penalty ensured all three points would stay on Wearside.

Sunderland 0-3 Coventry

Micheal Beale’s first game in charge of Sunderland. Coventry took the lead in stoppage time in the first half through Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and the second half only got worse for Beale with Callum O’Hare and Kasey Palmer adding goals in the 67th and 70th minute respectively. 

Sunderland 3-1 Stoke

Sunderland beat Stoke in comfortable fashion with Mason Burstow opening his account for the Black Cats before half time. Second half goals from Abdoullah Ba and Pierre Ekwah ensured all three points despite a calamitous own goal in the 74th minute from Jenson Seelt.

Sunderland 3-1 Plymouth 

Beale looked to have turned a corner when he won his second consecutive home game either side of a draw away at Middlesbrough, obviously this didn't turn out to be the case as Sunderland lost their next two games and Beale departed. Ekwah, Clarke and Bellingham all scored in the second half for Sunderland after Ryan Hardie gave Argyle the lead in the 39th minute.

Sunderland 1-2 Swansea

Mike Dodds' first game in his second spell of the season in charge came at home to Swansea but Sunderland were second best and the Swans were 2-0 up inside half an hour. Luke O’Nien scored a consolation goal in the 77th minute but it wouldn't be enough to avoid defeat for the Black Cats.