Iwan Roberts
Former Wales striker on BBC Radio Wales

That was the best chance. Abdoullah Ba has got so much time, I'm surprised he didn't shoot.

He pulled it back to Alex Pritchard and it was magnificent defending from Dimitrios Goutas. He stuck out a telescopic leg.

Image source, Rex Features

The closest we have come to a goal!

Abdoullah Ba cuts the ball back to Alex Pritchard and it looks like he will slot it home but Cardiff defender Dimitris Goutas gets a vital touch on it to take the ball wide.

Great defending!

Dan Neil then sends an effort wide from the resulting corner.

Can the hosts capitalise on this period of dominance?

They're well on top now.

We've not seen too much of Sunderland's in-form man Jack Clarke yet.

The 22-year-old winger has four goals in his last three games helping Sunderland to maintain their recent excellent form.

Gary Bennett
Ex-Sunderland defender on BBC Radio Newcastle

Cardiff are trying to take the sting out of the game. They are taking their time with everything they are doing.

Jobe Bellingham makes a darting run into the box, as he often does, and meets a cross but he can't get enough on the header to trouble Jak Alnwick in the Cardiff goal.

Sunderland beginning to press a little more though in search of the opener.

Iwan Roberts
Former Wales striker on BBC Radio Wales

Cardiff have been patient in their build-up. There's been a lot of good play but it's the end product that's been missing.

First sight of goal for the away side and it's Karlan Grant who cuts inside but sends his effort over the bar.

Even stevens so far really.

These two teams are in good form and look pretty well-matched in the early stages.

But... we want a goal!

Gary Bennett
Ex-Sunderland defender on BBC Radio Newcastle

It's a bit pedestrian by Sunderland at the moment. It's vey slow.

A first yellow of the afternoon goes the way of Abdoullah Ba who leaves his mark on Cardiff midfielder Joe Ralls early on.

A long way to go with a caution for Ba.

Ralls is up and fine to continue.

Not many chances to speak of early on as the teams feel each other out in the opening stages.

But then Sunderland's Mason Burstow gets the wrong side of Dimitrios Goutas who gives a foul away, giving the hosts a chance to send the ball into the box for the first time.

Dan Ballard almost gets on the end of it but Cardiff escape.

Away we go...

Bluebirds manager Erol Bulut makes one change from the midweek win over Coventry, with striker Yakou Meite starting in place of Ollie Tanner.

Cardiff: Alnwick, Ng, McGuinness, Goutas, Collins, Siopis, Ralls, Wintle, Grant, Meite, Ugbo.

Substitutes: Runarsson, Romeo, Panzo, Rinomhota, Adams, R. Colwill, Tanner, Robinson, Etete.

Tony Mowbray, perhaps unsurprisingly, names an unchanged side for the visit of Cardiff.

Why change a winning formula?

Ukraine forward Nazariy Rusyn is on the bench and could make his first appearance for the club.

Sunderland: Patterson, Ballard, O’Nien, Hume, Huggins, Neil, Pritchard, Bellingham, Ba, Clarke, Burstow.

Substitutes: Bishop, Seelt, Triantis, Rigg, Taylor, Aouchiche, Roberts, Rusyn, Luis Hemir.

Image source, Getty Images

Cardiff City goalkeeper Jak Alnwick won't be short of support in today's game.

Newcastle-born Alnwick. a former Sunderland academy player, said his family could not be happier he is heading back north for this game, and he'll be doing the same journey in Cardiff's next league away game at Middlesbrough on 3 October.

"It's nice we have got Sunderland and Middlesbrough coming up," he said.

"My dad gets to as many games as possible. But coming down to Cardiff is a good six-hour drive so it's not as easy for him to come down here," added Alnwick.

The Cardiff stopper says his family are "full Newcastle" and he left Sunderland for the Toon academy as a teenager.

Alnwick, 30, has established himself as first-choice Cardiff keeper ahead of Arsenal loanee Runar Runarsson this term and has had few better spells than the last week.

Image source, Rex Features

Sunderland have positive goalkeeper news of their own after Anthony Patterson signed a new contract aimed at keeping him at the club until 2028.

The England Under-21 international has become a regular for the Black Cats since the 2021-22 season, when he helped them win promotion to the Championship from League One.

Patterson played in all 46 of Sunderland's league fixtures last term.

Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said Patterson's long-term deal was a "real statement" by the club.

"He's establishing himself as one of the best young English goalkeepers," Speakman

Image source, Getty Images

The Bluebirds bring good form of their own into this contest with three wins in their last four.

They have enjoyed confidence-boosting back-to-back home victories - the first of which a south Wales derby success over Swansea, followed by a 3-2 thriller against Coventry.

Erol Bulut's impact in the early stages of the campaign has been hugely positive and Cardiff fans are enjoying the feelgood factor brought by the return of Aaron Ramsey to his hometown club.

The Wales international was a class above in the south Wales derby win and has netted in each of his last two away league appearances.

He last scored in three successive away league games in August 2014 for Arsenal in the Premier League.

Ramsey also has three away league goals at the Stadium of Light - his most at an away stadium.

Image source, Rex Features

Two upwardly mobile teams meet at the Stadium of Light in the later of Sunday's two Championship fixtures.

Sunderland are unbeaten in five, winning four of them including their last three matches in a run which has seen them rise to fourth.

The form of 22-year-old winger Jack Clarke has played a big factor in that run as he has put away four goals in his last three games and is joint top goalscorer in the league with five.

September has been an excellent month for the Black Cats, with a 5-0 win over Southampton followed by consecutive 3-1 away wins over QPR and Blackburn.

Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has only lost one of his last 10 league matches against Cardiff City (W5 D4), although that was this exact fixture last season, losing 1-0 with the Black Cats at the Stadium of Light.

Right, we're back in business for part two of today's Championship action.

After Hull's fine away win at Stoke earlier we're all set for Sunderland v Cardiff.

Let's take a closer look at the sides.

We're just going to press pause on this live page for a short while ahead of the Sunderland v Cardiff game, which kicks-off at 15:00 BST.

Time for us all to grab some food and a drink and get back here for what promises to be a very entertaining game.

See you shortly!

Ian Cranson
Fomer Stoke defender on BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke didn't look comfortable throughout the first half in terms of what they were trying to do.

They were off the pace by a yard or two and didn't have the energy that was required.

Hull didn't change their game too much and played a similar system as they have all season, and are comfortable with it.