Port Vale pulled off a significant upset in the previous round, as they beat Bristol City on Tuesday night. The League One side had to hold on at times, but they were able to keep their clean sheet intact for 120 minutes, and Ben Waine’s goal in extra time proved decisive.

However, Sunderland will provide a much greater challenge for Port Vale here, and the Premier League side are likely to go with a strong eleven with an FA Cup quarter-final spot on the line. They beat Oxford United 1-0 in the previous round, and the Yellows were barely able to lay a glove on Sunderland.

Oxford managed just 0.54 xG in front of a home support, while Sunderland racked up 17 shots worth 1.93 xG. The 1-0 scoreline suggests a close game, but Matt Ingram racked up eight saves for the hosts.

Sunderland also managed to overcome Everton in round three of the FA Cup. Even though it took a penalty shootout for the Black Cats to get the job done, they were much the better side and were pegged back as Everton were awarded a controversial 89th-minute penalty in regular time. On paper, this matchup against Port Vale should be their easiest of their FA Cup campaign so far, so Sunderland should dominate.

Port Vale were fortunate not to concede against Bristol City midweek - the visitors carved out 16 shots from their 72% possession. That translated to a total of 11 corners, nine of which came in regular time.

However, Port Vale did at least contribute four corners of their own in 90 minutes. They opted for quite a direct approach, getting the ball into the box at every available opportunity, and they should have similar tactics this weekend.

Jordan Shipley played the full 120 minutes against Bristol City on Tuesday night, operating in a central midfield role. The 28-year-old is a key player for Port Vale, and will once again have to be heavily involved if his side are to stand a chance against Sunderland.

Shipley accounted for one of his side’s seven shots midweek, which was a speculative effort from well outside the box. He has shown a tendency to try his luck from distance, which could be useful against Sunderland, as clear-cut chances are likely to be at a premium. Shipley has consistently been able to hit this mark, registering a shot in each of his last ten starts across all competitions.

This will be a tough matchup for the League One side, but if the space opens up for Shipley, he isn’t usually shy to pull the trigger. He will also be the designated free-kick taker for his side, which is a bonus.

Regis Le Bris has a bit of an injury crisis to contend with at the moment, and Reinildo is one of several regular first-teamers unavailable. Dennis Cirkin is also out injured, which leaves Sunderland light on options at left back. Because of that, Trai Hume has shifted over to the opposite flank, displaying his versatility.

Hume looks set to start there again at the weekend, which means he will be up against Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel. The 27-year-old was fouled twice against Bristol City last time out, and he is averaging 2.64 fouls drawn per 90 this season. He likes to drive at his opposing fullback, meaning Hume should have plenty of defensive work to get through here.

Hume racked up four fouls in his last FA Cup outing against Oxford, which was enough to earn himself a booking, and he is averaging 1.03 fouls per 90 this season across all competitions.