Sunderland vs Arsenal: Who Will Win? Prediction, Team News & Possible Lineups

Arsenal head to Wearside on Saturday night looking to keep a perfect start going, with Sunderland the latest side hoping to be the ones who finally slow the champions down. Both teams come into this off midweek cup wins, so there should be no shortage of confidence on either side of the pitch.

When is Sunderland vs Arsenal?

Sunderland host Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday evening at the Stadium of Light. Kick-off is at 8pm.

How Arsenal Have Started

Arsenal's attack did all the talking last time out. A blistering start from Chelsea threatened to cause an upset, but goals from Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard turned things around and helped the champions win their opening three league games for only the second time in over twenty years. Throw in Wednesday's narrow win away at Napoli in the Champions League, and Arteta's side are five wins from five in all competitions so far this season.

The numbers behind that run are just as impressive as the results. Arsenal have conceded only one goal in each competitive game they have played this season, and they currently have the lowest expected goals against in the entire Premier League. They have also faced remarkably few shots on target, with only Saturday's opponents having faced fewer.

Sunderland's Solid Start

Sunderland have been tough to break down themselves, which is part of what makes this such an interesting match-up. They picked up four points from two league games against Fulham and Brentford, relying on second-half goals both times, including a late penalty to snatch a draw against Brentford. That result means Sunderland are currently the only Premier League club with a perfectly level goal difference this season.

They backed that up in midweek with a narrow League Cup win over Hull City, stretching their unbeaten run in all competitions to three games. With a Europa League opener also coming up soon, spirits are high around the club right now.

History Still Leans Arsenal's Way

Arsenal have not lost to Sunderland in the league in seventeen years, a run stretching all the way back to a defeat in 2009. There was a dramatic 2-2 draw between the two sides last season that briefly threatened to break that streak, but Arsenal responded with a comfortable 3-0 win in the reverse fixture just months later.

Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

• Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 14 meetings with Sunderland in all competitions.
• Arsenal have the lowest expected goals against (xGA) figure in the Premier League so far this season.
• Sunderland are the only club in the division with a goal difference of exactly zero this season.
• Arsenal have won their opening three league games for only the second time in more than two decades.
• Perhaps surprisingly, the historical head-to-head record between Sunderland and Arsenal is not as one-sided as many might expect, with Arsenal winning 64 of the 156 meetings between the two sides.
• Sunderland have beaten Arsenal 50 times, while 42 matches have ended in draws.
• Recent meetings have certainly favoured the Gunners, however, with Arsenal unbeaten in their last 14 matches against Sunderland. Sunderland's last victory over Arsenal came in a 2-0 FA Cup win in the fifth round of the 2011-12 season at the Stadium of Light.
• Last season in the Premier League, the sides drew 2-2 at the Stadium of Light before Arsenal won 3-0 at the Emirates.

Squad and Team News

Arsenal will again be without Cristhian Mosquera and Jurrien Timber, both nursing muscle and groin issues, while William Saliba remains out long term with a back problem. Arteta has no fresh injury concerns from the win in Naples, though a number of changes are expected regardless, with Havertz, Christos Tzolis, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori all in line to return to the starting eleven.

Sunderland have no new fitness worries to speak of, though Habib Diarra remains out for several weeks with a thigh injury and winger Romaine Mundle is set to be sidelined for the rest of the year following knee surgery. That has opened the door for Malick Fofana, who impressed off the bench in midweek and could now make his full Premier League debut, likely playing in support of a returning Brian Brobbey up front.

Possible Lineups

Sunderland: Roefs in goal behind a back four of Mukiele, Ballard, Danso and Reinildo, with Xhaka and Sadiki holding in midfield, Angulo and Fofana providing width around Le Fee, and Brobbey leading the line.

Arsenal: Raya starts in net behind White, Konsa, Gabriel and Calafiori, with Lewis-Skelly and Rice controlling the middle of the park, Saka and Tzolis stretching play either side of Odegaard, and Havertz up top.

Tactical Verdict and Prediction

Sunderland have shown they can be stubborn and are capable of nicking a goal or two of their own, but Arsenal's defensive numbers this season are on another level entirely, and that makes life very difficult for any side trying to find a way back into a game against them. Fatigue from midweek cup football should not be much of a factor either way, given how much both managers were able to rotate their squads.

Arsenal's blend of defensive solidity and increasingly varied attacking threats makes them favourites here by some distance. Sunderland will make it competitive for periods, and might even get on the scoresheet, but stopping Arsenal from doing the same looks like a big ask on current form.

Prediction: Sunderland 1-3 Arsenal