The Black Cats round out 2022 as they take on Wigan at the DW Stadium, with new Wigan boss Kolo Toure looking for his first victory at the fourth time of asking since taking over at the end of November. The Latics sit next-to-bottom of the Championship with just one win in their last 11 games - a run that stretches back well before Toure's arrival.
Wigan lost 4-1 at Middlesbrough on Boxing Day but Mowbray has watched the video of that game and says the Lancashire outfit were much better than the scoreline suggests. "Having watched them get beaten 4-1 at the Riverside on Monday, they were miles better than a 4-1 defeat, " said Mowbray. "They had 17 shots at goal, they pressed Middlesbrough really well, they were a threat, yet Ryan Giles for Middlesbrough put in some amazing crosses into the box with his left foot and [Chuba] Akpom scored a hat-trick. "But they [Wigan] looked a decent team to me, full of energy and playing on the front foot and they were dangerous.
The match is being broadcast on Sky Sports this evening - here's all the key information ahead of kick-off. What time does the game start? West Bromwich Albion vs Preston North End in the Championship kicks off at 8pm on Thursday, 29 December. How can I watch it on live TV and what are the channel details? The match is being broadcast live by Sky Sports. It is being shown via the red button and can be viewed by anyone with an active Sky Sports subscription. The match can also be live streamed via the Sky Sports app.
It can be live streamed on a host of devices, including laptops, mobile phones, tablets and games consoles. We will also have a live blog of the game running from 5pm, while iFollow video match passes are available for £10 tonight. Guy Clarke and Andy Fensome are on commentary for PNE. What happened in the previous meeting? These two sides last met at Deepdale at the start of October and North End picked up all three points. Emil Riis turned home the eventual winner early in the first half. North End will thus be seeking to do the double over the Baggies this evening.
Toure however, is not resting on his laurels and will look to use the game against the Black Cats as a platform to build upon. "We have to analyse quickly now, " he said. "There are some things we can take, but also some things to correct, but we have a big opportunity with two home games at home to make sure we get points. We have to think about the next game moving forward, and we have to give everything. "Stuart JamiesonMowbray Wigan warningTony Mowbray has warned Sunderland must not let down their guard against struggling Wigan Athletic tonight - insisting the Latics are better than recent results suggest.
You can look at a result sometimes and think 'they're really struggling and they've lost 4-1', but the point I'm trying to make is that they are better than that and it won't be long I'm sure before Kolo [Toure] gets them going and they have belief in the way he is asking them to play - but, hopefully, that'll be after tonight! "READ MORE HEREStuart JamiesonWigan vs Sunderland predictionThree points to sign off 2022? Stuart JamiesonWelcomeGood afternoon everyone and welcome to our live blog coverage of tonight's game.
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Wright, Ballard, O'Nien, Neil, Ba, Amad, Michut, Clarke, SimmsSubs: Bass, Matete, Roberts, Pritchard, Stewart, Dajaku, Bennette18:09James HunterEvening allHere we are at the DW Stadium, then. Looks like Mowbray will be forced into a few changes tonight. Can Sunderland make it back-to-back wins after their Boxing Day victory against Blackburn? Stuart JamiesonNorth West baseSunderland will work at Manchester United's training base between Christmas and New Year with the Black Cats set to spend four days in the North West. The Black Cats face back-to-back games in Lancashire as they visit next-to-bottom Wigan Athletic tonight followed by the New Year's Day game at third-bottom Blackpool a week on Sunday.
"We feel it is best to stay over there and we've asked Manchester United if we can use their training facilities, and that's what we'll do. "Stuart JamiesonJewison BennetteJewison Bennette in action for Sunderland (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Jewison Bennette will travel to the North-West with Sunderland after sitting out the Boxing Day win against Blackburn Rovers due to a minor foot injury, Tony Mowbray has revealed. The Costa Rica international was a notable absentee when the Black Cats' teamsheet was issued on Monday, with no place for him even on the bench despite having been named amongst the subs the previous week for the game at Hull City. And Mowbray has explained that Bennette had suffered a kick on his foot which meant he missed several days' training, and that led to the decision to leave him out.
It's Sunderland's final match of what has been a good 2022 for the club overall. A win tonight could lift the Black Cats into the play-off places in what is still a very tight Championship table. Boxing Day's win over Blackburn has lifted morale even higher on Wearside, and Tony Mowbray and Co will be confident of an away win tonight. Wigan have been in terrible form, and sit second bottom following their 4-1 hammering at Middlesbrough on Monday.
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Live on Sky Sports: EFL fixtures announced for late January including Burnley vs West Brom, Sunderland vs Middlesbrough The standout clash sees Sunderland host Middlesbrough on Sunday, January
22, kick-off 12pm, while current Championship leaders Burnley
READ MORE HEREStuart JamiesonKeep or sell? January is just a few days away... Stuart JamiesonLeon DajakuLeon Dajaku of Sunderland (Image: 2022 Sunderland AFC)Leon Dajaku is likely to return to the Sunderland squad at Wigan Athletic tonight with boss Tony Mowbray insisting the German forward remains part of his plans. Dajaku has been a fringe figure in the first half of Sunderland's season, making only two starts and a handful of substitute appearances. He came on as a sub for the final minute of the home defeat against West Brom on December 12 and but did not even make the bench for the last two games at Hull City and then at home to Blackburn Rovers.
Wigan Athletic vs Sunderland LIVEHello and welcome to our live blog coverage of Wigan Athletic vs Sunderland at the DW Stadium. It's the final game of 2022 for Tony Mowbray's side and, following their Boxing Day win over Blackburn Rovers, they will be looking to sign off the year on a high. Wigan are struggling at the wrong end of the Championship table, with new manager Kolo Toure seeing his side lose 4-1 to Middlesbrough on Monday. The Latics have won just one of their last 11 games, and suffered a 2-1 defeat when the two sides met at the Stadium of Light. James Hunter is at the ground, as always, tonight, to bring you all the latest as it happens, plus the post-match reaction and analysis.
What are the match odds? According to the Pools, West Brom are 5/6 to emerge victorious, while North End are 10/3 to pick up all three points. A draw is priced at 13/5. Who is the referee? Andy Woolmer takes charge of PNE for the fourth time this season. Woolmer has refereed North End’s away games against Cardiff City, Sunderland and Huddersfield Town so far. It will be Woolmer's 18th game this season, with him having shown 69 yellow cards and three reds. Download the LancsLive app for free on iPhone here and Android here.
Mowbray admits Dajaku will be frustrated at his lack of opportunities, particularly when Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms were both out injured earlier in the season. "I like Leon, " he said. "He works really hard. It's a difficult scenario for me of where you fit him into the structure if you're playing with [Jack] Clarke and [Patrick] Roberts and Ellis Simms down the middle, where do you fit him in? I think he could play anywhere across the front line. "FULL STORY HEREStuart JamiesonKolo ToureKolo Toure says his Wigan Athletic side now have an opportunity to get some points on the board ahead of their game against Sunderland.
The Latics will now have back-to-back games as the former Arsenal and Manchester City looks for his first three points as head coach. Toure picked up a point in his first game as manager in a 1-1 draw with Wigan Athletic but suffered defeat against Championship high fliers Sheffield United and most recently, a 4-1 defeat to Middlesbrough. Sunderland on the other hand, are a point outside of the play-offs and have picked up ten points from a possible 15 available to them.
Mowbray was also conscious of the fact that Bennette had returned from the World Cup in need of building up his fitness again, making the missed training sessions all the more crucial. But Bennette is part of the group that will travel across the Pennines ahead of tonight's game at Wigan Athletic, and will stay there to prepare for Sunday's New Year's Day game at Blackpool.
19:08KEY EVENTTeam news in fullFive changes for Sunderland tonight, with Edouard Michut making his first startTeam news in full18:49James HunterAnd the Wigan team... Here's how Wigan line up Here is your team news for this evening’s game against Sunderland... Kolo Touré makes three changes from Boxing Day Tendayi Darikwa & Tom Naylor return to the starting line-up Ashley Fletcher comes in for his first Latics league start! #wafc #BELIEVE— Wigan Athletic (@LaticsOfficial) December 29, 2022 18:47KEY EVENTThe teams are in...
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West Brom vs PNE Sky Sports TV channel details & match oddsPreston North End will be aiming to bounce back from consecutive defeats when they travel to take on West Bromwich Albion this evening. The Lilywhites suffered a Deepdale loss at the hands of Huddersfield Town on Boxing Day. They take on one of the form sides in the Championship tonight, at The Hawthorns. North End sit tenth heading into the encounter, but just a point from the play-offs in an extremely tight and congested table. West Brom are two points and four places behind Ryan Lowe's men.
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the game will be shown on ITV4's English Football League
And rather than make two return trips across the Pennines in quick succession - with all the disruption to the squad's training that would involve - boss Tony Mowbray says the team will instead stay over between the two games, with Manchester United agreeing to allow the Black Cats to use their training facilities to prepare. "I think the [Christmas holiday] period itself is important because the games come thick and fast, so that Boxing Day fixture [against Blackburn] is one of three that come really quickly that week, " said Mowbray. "We've got to go to the North-West on the back of the Blackburn Rovers game and we're going to stay over in the North-West for four days between Christmas and the New Year. It's probably not ideal for family life, but the fixtures have thrown up Wigan and Blackpool and the correct thing to do is to stay there and rest properly, otherwise we would be getting back at 2am - like the fans will, unfortunately - but then do you bring the players in and train the next day, and then the very next day you would be coming in and getting back on the bus to go another three-and-a-half hours over to the North-West.
How to watch Burnley vs Middlesbrough on Sky Sports and streaming details for Championship clash Sky Sports Football customers can also see each match streamed live on the
Sky Sports app. It is Burnley's first home game since the derby