Poyet convinced Cats will seal a long overdue home win

GUS Poyet is convinced Sunderland will beat Cardiff City this weekend, by the Law of Averages if nothing else!

Normally, home advantage would be a major factor in Sunderland’s favour in Sunday’s encounter at the Stadium of Light – especially with the Bluebirds having won away only twice in the whole campaign.

But the Black Cats have won only three times on home turf in the league themselves and have also regularly failed to beat their relegation rivals home or away, with the 4- 1 win at Fulham in January their only scalp in the whole campaign.

But Poyet says Sunderland WILL seize an opportunity sooner or later – and this weekend would be the perfect moment. “I believe that,” he told the Echo. “When a team loses six or seven games in a row, it is going to win one eventually.

“Or the opposite way around – when a team wins four or five in a row, it is due to lose.

“I remember Everton going on a great run and winning six in a row – then they lost to Crystal Palace! Thank you very much!

“Take a look at Jose Mourinho’s home record at Chelsea – incredible – 77 games unbeaten, but it couldn’t last forever and they lost to the team bottom of the table.

“We are the same here at Sunderland – how many chances have we had this season where we got ourselves into a good position and had every chance of pushing on?

“We had Norwich City away, we had Aston Villa at home, we had Hull City at home. “We lost all three” “So we have to take this chance – it’s long overdue – and like everything else in football, things eventually turn around. Why not now?”

Sunderland will be boosted going into the Cardiff game by the return of Phil Bardsley, who is back after a two- game suspension.

Liam Bridcutt is also available after missing the last three games for personal reasons while Craig Gardner is also fit after illness.

The firm likelihood is though that Poyet will name an unchanged side after seeing Chelsea toppled at Stamford Bridge last weekend.

“I do not plan to experiment in the Cardiff game,” he said.

“There will be no surprises in terms of formation and there is probably only one place in the team where I have a decision to make.”