Sunderland will face Preston North End at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday evening, looking to win three consecutive Championship matches for the first time since 2025.

On Saturday, the Black Cats defeated Cardiff City 2-1, while Paul Heckingbottom’s team lost 1-0 to promotion-chasing Sheffield United.

Match preview

Sunderland’s Chris Mepham scored the game-winning goal with 13 minutes left in normal time, following earlier efforts by Eliezer Mayenda and Cardiff’s Isaak Davies.

The centre-back’s first Championship goal secured back-to-back 2-1 wins for Regis Le Bris’s side, who also defeated Sheffield United at the end of February. They now aim to win three consecutive games in the tournament for the first time since October.

While Sunderland is comfortably ahead of Coventry City and West Bromwich Albion in fourth place in the Championship table, automatic promotion remains a long prospect, with a total of 68 points, six fewer than Burnley and eight fewer than Sheffield United in second place.

However, Le Bris was understandably dissatisfied with his side’s hard effort against the relegation-battling Bluebirds, citing a “strange” section of the game in which his side had “massive control” but still allowed Davies to threaten a Cardiff comeback.

Nonetheless, the Black Cats should maintain their firm hold on a playoff berth, as they have only suffered one Championship defeat at the Stadium of Light this season; only Burnley, the only team unbeaten at home in the division, has lost fewer games on their own peach.

Preston have also excelled in front of the home crowd throughout the winter months, turning Deepdale into a fortress with a 14-game unbeaten run in all competitions, but Heckingbottom’s players have had a different experience away from Deepdale.

PNE struggled to earn a point at Bramall Lane on Saturday. Despite a strong defensive performance, they were defeated by Tyrese Campbell’s header early in the second half.