Bristol City vs Sunderland Prediction: Bristol are winless in last four games

Bristol City will welcome Sunderland at Ashton Gate Stadium in Game Week 22 of the English Championship. Bristol is winless in the last four games in the league. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

Bristol City form

Bristol City are desperate to improve their form and have been on a four-game winless streak in the Championship under new head coach Liam Manning. While a 1-1 draw against Huddersfield Town felt like progress, a 2-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday was their third narrow loss in four games. 

Aside from a 3-2 win over Middlesbrough, Bristol City have struggled to score more than two goals in a game since September 23, with only 13 goals in 10 league matches at Ashton Gate. They have also failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five matches, a combination that could lead to a focus on avoiding relegation in the second half of the season for Manning.

Manning faces the decision of whether to stick with a four-player defence or switch to a three and also how much to modify a team that suffered a loss in the previous match. Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Andreas Weimann are potential candidates to join the starting lineup, possibly replacing Joe Williams and Sam Bell. With Nahki Wells uncertain due to injury, Anis Mehmeti and Harry Cornick are options to take Tommy Conway's place in the attack.

Bristol City Predicted Lineup

O'Leary; Tanner, Vyner, Dickie, Pring; Weimann, James, Gardner-Hickman, Sykes; Knight; Conway. 

Sunderland form

The decision to part ways with Tony Mowbray before the home games against West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United was questioned by the owners of Sunderland. However, it turned out to be a brilliant move, as the team won both matches, with Jobe Bellingham scoring the winning goal in the second game. These victories were important as both West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United are considered rivals for the playoffs.

Although interim boss Mike Dodds is unlikely to be given the permanent position, he has revitalized the team, who had only won two of their previous nine matches. Despite being just three points away from 11th place, Sunderland currently sits in sixth place and has the opportunity to solidify their position with a third consecutive win.

Sunderland's extra day of rest might make it easier for Dodds to choose an unchanged starting lineup. Patrick Roberts and Bradley Dack can be considered for the forward positions if Dodds wants to bring in fresh players, although Ajibola Alese and Dennis Cirkin remain unavailable. 

Sunderland Predicted Lineup

Patterson; Seelt, Ballard, O'Nien; Hume, Bellingham, Neil, Huggins; Ba, Pritchard, Clarke. 

Bristol City vs Sunderland Expert Tips

Based on the quality of Bristol City and the vulnerabilities of Sunderland, a home win seems likely for the upcoming match. However, the Black Cats have demonstrated an extra something recently, and we believe they could stage a comeback in the second half to secure another impressive victory. Expect under 2.5 goals in the game.