Both sides ended the year on a high with wins, Rovers European ambitions were reignited and Sunderland’s dreams of survival boosted as they climbed out of the drop zone. Blackburn are looking for their first back-to-back wins since October but will be aware they have won just 1 of their last 5 games at Ewood Park. Mark Hughes’ side have failed to score in 4 of their last 5 home matches so the Black Cats will fancy their chances of an upset. Roy Keane will know that the Rovers defence has been less than watertight after keeping just 1 clean-sheet in their last 15 League games so don’t be surprised if Kenwyne Jones gets on the score-sheet.

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The Rams almost picked up two impressive results in a week when they were minutes away from a draw with Liverpool on Boxing Day but there are genuine signs of improvement under Paul Jewell. This is perhaps a case of too little, too late to save them from relegation, after all they are bottom of the Premier League, 9 points from safety but at least they may take a few big name scalps on their way back to the Championship.

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Mark Hughes must be one confused manager, one minute his Blackburn side are on a 5-match winning run and tipped to be contenders for the top four, the next they are being thrashed by Premier League powerhouses Villa and Wigan. Throw in a home defeat to an Arsenal reserve side in the Carling Cup and life at Ewood Park has took a definite turn for the worse. Next up is the wounded lion that is Chelsea, still smarting from their narrow defeat at the Emirates last weekend. Not the ideal fixture for Sparky when you consider that Rovers have only beaten the Blues once in the last 9 meetings between the clubs. Their record does not improve at Ewood Park with Chelsea losing just once in their last 7 visits.

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