Arsenal at Sunderland Premier League preview: Up and away
Arsenal’s road trip continues as they travel to the Stadium of Light to take on Sunderland
The Gunners return to the foggy shores of England for Premier League action on Saturday when they face Sunderland after a successful midweek jaunt to Napoli where they notched their first Champions League victory of the season.
It’s been as solid a first month for Arsenal as you could hope for. Three wins in the PL and another in the CL have them right back in conversations about trophies and accolades as they have wasted little time in establishing themselves as the team to beat. The core of the side has returned, Martin Ødegaard is back in the best way, and the defense looks like they are still the best in Europe. The only downside: no set piece goals yet.
Mikel Arteta’s side have already faced two stern tests in the league this season after a markedly chippy trip to Aston Villa before last weekend’s domination at home over a new-look Chelsea. Saturday presents another crucible as they face a Black Cats side that gave the Gunners fits last time they traveled to the Stadium of Light.
It was fun rooting for the plucky promoted Sunderland side last season as they stifled opposition and fought their way up the table. But now that they are back for another season in the top flight, they are old hat, but I suppose it’s far better to be one of the regulars than a perpetual yo-yo club.
Saturday’s match has a chance to be decisive for the Gunners, but the first Manchester Derby of the season on Sunday has the potential to be equally as important. Manchester City sit atop the table by proxy of having scored more goals than Arsenal, but Manchester United enter this season with a massive point to prove after finishing in the top 4 last season. Depending on that result, Arsenal could be back at the front of the pack by the end of match day 5.
Arsenal can only play their match, so it’s up to them to take care of business on the road. Now that Sunderland are a known entity, can Mikel Arteta and co give them the same short shrift that they have given the rest of the PL stalwarts and leave the Stadium of Light with all three points?
By the time the dust had settled on the 2025/26 season, a few things were certain: Arsenal were champions, Spurs were crap, and Sunderland were the season’s surprise side.
When the Black Cats began last season as one of the promoted sides, expectations were understandably low. With spending gaps widening between top clubs and the rest of the pack, there weren’t many outlets that gave them a snowball’s chance of staying up, even after spending a mint in the summer ahead of their return to the Premier League. But their spending spree, including the acquisition of former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka, and managerial acumen of Regis Le Bris helped them swiftly dash any notion that they were going to be yet another one-and-done club.
They didn’t just secure their safety by season’s end - they shattered expectations by finishing 7th after defeating Chelsea on the final day of the season, which qualified them for the Europa League competition. As far as promoted clubs successes go, that’s sensational.
Manager Regis Le Bris guided his side to success with a fairly traditional approach. Sunderland’s success came from a compact defense, a reliable starting XI, and a directness in the attack that highlighted their strengths - literal and figurative - and minimized their weaknesses.
Their physicality made them a tough opponent to push around, as Arsenal found out all too well when they traveled to the Stadium of Light in October of last season. Sunderland were surprisingly front-footed and didn’t shy away from the challenge, using the home field advantage and physicality to keep the Gunners from getting too comfortable. Both of Sunderland’s goals, including Brian Brobbey’s stoppage time equalizer, were prime examples of their physical prowess and aerial strength, which they used to great effect to split the points with the eventual champions.
The current campaign has seen them take a loss, a win, and a draw from their opening three matches. The first month of the season isn’t terribly telling, but the next month will be for Sunderland as they now have to juggle European football on their fixture list for the first time in 50 years. They begin their European campaign this week with AZ Alkmaar coming to visit, which may or may not give Le Bris some food for thought as to how he may line up on Saturday. It’s probably wishful thinking to assume he would change up anything significantly, as he will likely keep his lineup as consistent as possible to build more chemistry and consistency in early fixtures.
Their summer spending was far less than the previous one, though they did fortify the attack with Malik Fofana from Lyon, who Arsenal were briefly linked with on the final day of the transfer window. The addition of Kevin Danso adds PL experience to the ranks, while Thomas Meunier joins as an exceptionally experienced player.
Their lineup, overall, remains largely intact from last season. Robin Roefs is in goal with former Hale End product Dan Ballard ahead of him in the defense. Granit Xhaka is back leading the midfield after refusing to sign for a lesser club when Chelsea came calling over the summer, while the likes of Brian Brobbey, Nordi Mukiele, Wilson Isidor, and Enzo Le Fee all return as well.
The hardest part following a successful season is building on it and raising the ceiling, but Sunderland seem to be on a solid path. If anyone expects a steep regression this season and anything less than another energized, physical battle on Saturday, they are sorely mistaken.
Arsenal vs Sunderland all time record: 64-42-50
Incomings: Malik Fofana (Lyon), Dayann Méthalie (Toulouse), Jules Ahoka (Royal Antwerp), Juan Riquelme Angulo (Independiente), Kevin Danso (Tottenham), Thomas Meunier (Lille)
Departures: Eliezer Mayenda (Stade Rennais), Anthony Patterson (Wrexham), Ahmed Abdullahi (Eyüpspor), Dennis Cirkin (QPR), Dan Neil (Rangers), Arthur Masuaku (Konyaspor), Timothée Pembélé (Le Haver AC), Nazariy Rusyn (Karpaty Lviv), Harrison Jones (Peterborough)
Injuries & Suspensions: Romaine Mundle (knee), Mouhamadou Habib Diarra (thigh)
For injuries, suspensions, and predicted lineups for Arsenal, check out our preview here.
WHO: Arsenal at Sunderland
WHAT: Premier League match day 4
WHEN: Saturday, September 12th, 3:00pm EST/12:00pm PST/8:00pm GMT
WHERE: Stadium of Light, Sunderland
HOW TO WATCH: Broadcast live on the USA Network. Streaming on the Peacock and Amazon Prime apps.
For all your international streaming needs, check LiveSoccerTV.com. Please do not share or discuss links to illegal streams here.
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