NORTHEAST WARD HO!

Hello and how are you?

Saturday the 12th of September sees the Mighty Cannon (2nd) taking a trip up to Wearside and take on Sunderland AFC (12th) at the Stadium of Light. KO is 8pm (local time) . Expected weather is 19°( feels like 15°) and 6% chance of rain.

So, after performance that was strong but thwarted in front of goal against Napoli, a game that might have at least at several moments suited the now departed Martinelli, we now take on the Black Cats and our old pal Granit Xhaka.

Oddly, nobody seems to know why the Black Cats are called the Black Cats, despite a few theories. However, take them on we will. Last year it was something of a negative watershed as we were reduced to a 2-2 draw, that somehow felt like a loss and did put a lot of pressure upon us and we seemed to go into a period of struggle afterwards? But that was then and this is now…

Le Bris’ Sunderland go into this game having beaten Hull in the Carabao Cup 1-0. They are W1 D1 L1 (with zero goals difference) in the PL, but may well have an eye on the 16th of September match against AZ Alkmaar, when their Europa League campaign starts, albeit sandwiched between us and Man City?

Saliba (obviously) Mosquera and Timber! are crocked for the Arsenal and Diarra and Mundle be out for the Mackem’s.

I knocked on the door of Statto HQ and they were watching re-runs of the 1973 cup final especially Jim Montgomerys rubbery-morphic save. However, they stopped and handed me a piece of paper with the stats and they reckoned up that Sunderland AFC have a 13.7 % chance of winning and Arsenal FC have a 64.3 % chance of nabbing those three points.

Next up we plough on over to the East marches of England for a clash with the Tractor boys on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup. Till then may your force be with you. COYG!

Mills