Arsenal return to Premier League action at the Stadium of Light looking to extend their perfect record against a Sunderland side who have already shown they can make home games difficult.
Arsenal head to the Stadium of Light on Saturday with little time to dwell on Wednesday’s win to open this season’s Champions League campaign.
Mikel Arteta’s side followed three straight Premier League wins with a 1-0 victory away to Napoli on Wednesday, Martin Odegaard eventually breaking the deadlock after Arsenal had created enough chances to win by a more comfortable margin.
The results have been consistent even if each match has presented different challenges. The Gunners opened the league campaign by beating Coventry before winning away at Aston Villa. Then having to fight a comeback during Chelsea's visited the Emirates, conceding their first and only goal of the season so far after just 77 seconds.
Sunderland should provide yet another type of test.
Regis Le Bris’ side have taken four points from their opening three league games after recovering from defeat at Ipswich with a 1-0 win over Fulham and a 1-1 draw away to Brentford. They also beat Hull City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, meaning both teams come into this game on a short turnaround
Arsenal Team News
William Saliba continues to be Arsenal’s most notable absentee after missing the opening weeks of the season.
The Frenchman did not travel for the Champions League victory over Napoli, while Jurrien Timber and Cristhian Mosquera were also absent from the matchday squad in Italy. Arteta is yet to provide a fresh update on whether either defender will be available for the trip to Sunderland.
Ezri Konsa started alongside Gabriel in Naples, with Ben White at right-back, whilst Piero Hincapie replaced Riccardo Calafiori on the opposite side.
Calafiori was an unused substitute and should return to his starting role at the Stadium of Light.
Arteta made the most of his squad depth in Naples. Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres were all brought into the starting XI, while Kai Havertz, Martin Zubimendi, Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis were among the options used from the bench.
Guimaraes’ return has been managed after he missed the opening league fixture, while Declan Rice has started every Arsenal game so far despite his heavy workload through last season, followed by a semi-final run in this summer’s World Cup.
Sunderland Form and Team News
Sunderland’s four-point return does not fully reflect how competitive they have been.
They were beaten 2-1 by Ipswich on the opening weekend after Jack Clarke scored a late winner against his former club, but responded by defeating Fulham at the Stadium of Light through Wilson Isidor’s second-half goal.
They followed with a point at Brentford last weekend. Sunderland spent long periods without the ball at the Gtech Community Stadium but stayed in the game before Enzo Le Fée converted an 82nd-minute penalty to make it 1-1.
Le Bris opted to rotate heavily for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win over Hull, with Chemsdine Talbi scoring the only goal. Several regular starters were given a full rest or reduced involvement ahead of Arsenal’s visit to the North East.
Habib Diarra is expected to remain unavailable because of a thigh injury.
Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki have formed the main midfield partnership in his absence, with Le Fée operating further forward. Brian Brobbey has started through the middle in the league, while Nilson Angulo has provided Sunderland with pace and direct running from wide areas.
Malick Fofana is another option after making his first Sunderland start against Hull.
What to Expect
Arsenal have set up similarly through the opening weeks, and there is little reason to expect Arteta to move far from that approach.
The defensive confidence remains intact, allowing Arsenal to commit numbers higher up the pitch without regularly leaving themselves exposed.
Calafiori has been particularly important when he has played. Rather than simply holding his position at left-back, the Italian has made underlapping runs deep into the opposition half, forcing defenders and midfielders to decide whether to follow him and potentially opening space for the players around him.
Odegaard is another who is operating higher this season.
Arteta explained after the Napoli win that Arsenal now have more players capable of progressing possession from deeper positions, giving their captain greater freedom to arrive closer to goal. Four goals in his last five matches suggest the Gunners are already benefiting.
Sunderland are unlikely to give those players much room centrally.
Xhaka and Sadiki provide a physical midfield base, while Le Bris’ team have been comfortable defending in patches and waiting for chances to move forward quickly.
Brobbey offers a useful target when Sunderland need to go more directly. His ability to hold defenders off can help them escape pressure, with Angulo and Le Fée then able to join attacks quickly.
Arsenal will need to watch the spaces they leave when their full-backs advance, particularly if Sunderland can find Angulo early after turnovers.
Sunderland's bigger challenge may be sustaining those attacks. The Gunners have allowed very little so far and can keep opponents pinned back for long periods.
Their own finishing has been less convincing.
Aside from the opening league victory against Coventry, Arsenal’s wins have all come by a single goal despite regularly creating enough opportunities for bigger margins. That continued in Naples, where Arteta felt his side should have made the result far more comfortable.
When Is Sunderland vs Arsenal?
Sunderland host Arsenal at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, September 12.
Kick-off is at 8pm BST.
The fixture was moved to the later Saturday slot after Arsenal’s Champions League game away to Napoli on Wednesday.
How to Watch Sunderland vs Arsenal
The game will be shown live in the United Kingdom on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate.
Coverage begins at 6.30pm, with kick-off at 8pm.
Subscribers can also stream the match through HBO Max.
Prediction
Sunderland showed last season that the Stadium of Light can be a difficult place to visit, and they have already won their first home league game of this campaign.
They also held Arsenal to a 2-2 draw on Wearside last season, so Arteta will know there is little value in treating this as a routine away fixture.
Arsenal are arriving in considerably stronger form, though. Their defensive record has remained excellent despite injuries at centre-back, while Odegaard and Saka are both providing a consistent threat at the other end.
If the Gunnersl keep creating chances at this rate, we should expect more of them to go in.
Sunderland should make them work for it, but Arsenal have enough control and attacking quality to extend their winning run.
Prediction: Sunderland 0-2 Arsenal
