Sunderland arrive at Ashton Gate as a relatively unknown quantity following their eventual return to the Championship after four years in League One.
As Nigel Pearson alluded to in his pre-match press conference he's expecting a difficult contest against a side who will be backed by a passionate away following and as the manager reiterated on Thursday, there's no easy game in the Championship.
Sunderland come into the contest on the back of a scrappy home draw with Coventry with both sides looking to kick-start their seasons by getting their first victories under their belt.
