Preview: Arsenal v Sunderland | Pre-Match Report | News

After booking our spot in the Carabao Cup final already this week, we’ll look to finish it with an increased lead at the top of the table on Saturday when we host Sunderland at Emirates Stadium (3pm UK), 

The Black Cats have been the Premier League’s surprise package this term and head into this game in eighth spot. However, just 10 of their 36 points have been picked up away from the Stadium of Light, and you have to go back to October for their last win.

It is much further back in time for their last league success on our turf, which came in November 1983 – 18 meetings ago – and despite fighting valliantly for a late draw when we last met in November, three points will be the only thing on Mikel Arteta’s mind as he hopes to steal a march on Manchester City, with our League Cup final opponents heading to Liverpool on Sunday.

Sunderland’s travel sickness

Widely tipped to go straight back down, Sunderland have not been troubled by relegation at any stage of the campaign. Having moved to 36 points following a 3-0 home win against Burnley on Monday, the Wearsiders are virtually guaranteed to stay up with three months of the season still to play, and will have one eye on a European berth with nothing to lose as they head towards spring.

Backed by sell-out crowds at the Stadium of Light, Regis Le Bris’ team maintain the only unbeaten home record in the top-flight, with their 12 matches on Wearside yielding seven wins and five draws, but it’s been more of a struggle on the road.

Sunderland are winless in their last seven away league games, losing each of their last two by conceding three goals in each, which came in the capital at Brentford and West Ham United last month. They have also scored just three times in that winless run.

What the managers say

Arteta: “It’s another opportunity to win, to be better than the opposition and earn the right to win the game. The statement is that we do what we have to do and it’s going to be a really tough match. I think they have been on an incredible run all season, and what they’ve been doing, so we know the complexity of the match.  

“The energy of winning a big tie against a great Chelsea side and the fact that you install yourself in Wembley in a couple of weeks, it’s exciting, it’s what we want, you could feel the excitement around our supporters as well which is great, so on to the next one.” – every word of Mikel’s pre-match press conference

Le Bris: “We have to show the best version of Sunderland with an underdog mindset. They are playing at a huge level. They are impressive in the Premier League, outstanding in the Champions League.

“They are probably one of the best teams in Europe at the minute, so it’s a tough challenge, but an exciting challenge. I think it’s still possible if you believe that it’s possible. So you have to have this confidence, this belief against those kinds of teams.”

Team news

Bukayo Saka pulled out of the warm-up at Leeds last weekend with a hip issue and continues to be monitored, while Martin Odegaard is improving as he hopes to shake off the muscle injury that caused him to miss the midweek win against Chelsea.

Mikel Merino remains out long-term with a foot problem, while Max Dowman is still a few weeks away from recovering from his ankle issues.

Granit Xhaka won’t be able to feature against his former club as he, too, has picked up an ankle injury that has kept him out for the past couple of weeks, which is the same issue that is causing Arthur Masuaku to sit this one out. Bertrand Traore has a knee injury and also won’t play.

Le Bris could hand a debut to deadline day signing Nilson Angulo, after the winger completed his move from Anderlecht, while fellow new wide man Jocelin Ta Bi is struggling with an ankle injury as he seeks his Black Cats bow.

Talking tactics

Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme: Sunderland had been rotating between a 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1, but against Burnley they opted for a fluid, attack-minded 5-4-1. Le Bris is not wedded to one shape or system, however, the success of playing three centre-backs in that comprehensive 3-0 win may persuade him to keep that formation.

From a tactical perspective, the Black Cats are good enough to play through the lines but longer passes worked well against us at the Stadium of Light. In addition, long throw-ins, aggressive turnovers and fast breaks will all be methods that the visitors try to hurt us.

They don’t need a lot of possession, averaging just 44%, but we should not underestimate their technical ability, with high levels of creative input coming from the gifted Enzo Le Fee and Chemsidine Talbi, while Brian Brobbey’s physicality means he is a handful for defenders to contain. Only two top-flight outfits have won more aerial duels than Sunderland, who will back themselves to win headers inside both boxes.

Nordi Mukiele [above] is the key man though. He can play as a central defender or as a right back, is a good crosser, and his long throws are also a tremendous weapon for the team.

Facts and stats

We have only played more home Premier League games without ever losing against Southampton (25) and Fulham (18) than we have against Sunderland (16). They have only visited Liverpool more often without a victory in the competition (17).

The Black Cats have won just one of their last 28 top-flight games against us, a 1-0 home win in November 2009.

We are unbeaten in our last 43 at home against promoted sides, the joint-longest run in Premier League history (Chelsea also 43 between 2001 and 2015). We have also won the last 14 in a row.

Sunderland have faced the third-most shots in the Premier League this season (337) but have conceded the joint-fewest goals (26).

We have scored more goals from corners than any other side in the Premier League this season (14), and are just two shy of the most corner goals in a single campaign (16 by Oldham in 1992/93, West Brom in 2016/17 and us in 2023/24.

Four of Viktor Gyokeres’s six Premier League goals have been scored against the newly promoted sides (3 v Leeds, 1 v Burnley).

Dan Ballard and Brian Brobbey scored in the 2-2 draw in November – the last player to score home and away against us for the Black Cats in the same league season was Tommy Wright in 1953/54.

Robin Roefs has made the third-most saves (76), has the second-highest save percentage (74.3%) and kept eight clean sheets in the Premier League.

Match officials

Sam Barrott has been handed control of this game, his third Gunners match in 25/26 following our League Cup success against Brighton and the 1-0 win at Everton in December. Barrott has been a lucky omen for us, as we have won on all seven occasions he has refereed us over the past three seasons.

His only Sunderland action this term saw them draw 1-1 at home to Aston Villa, when he dismissed left-back Reinildo Mandava after 33 minutes – the only red the Yorkshireman has brandished in the top-flight this term. He has though issued six penalties, only Michael Salisbury has pointed to the spot more times in the top-flight.

Referee: Sam Barrott
Assistants: Ian Hussin, Wade Smith
Fourth official: Farai Hallam
VAR: Michael Salisbury
Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton

Sunderland’s last visits to N5

It has been over four years since the Black Cats last pitched up in N5, when as a League One outfit, they reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup, but were beaten 5-1 with Eddie Nketiah helping himself to a hat-trick, while Nicolas Pepe and Charlie Patino also netted.

You have to go back to May 2017 for the last time a Sunderland side were in league action at our home, when an Alexis Sanchez brace claimed a 2-0 victory against the already-relegated Wearsiders. There were also a pair of league and FA Cup wins within the space of a month in 2015/16, when Joel Campbell, Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey netted in both matches.

Live coverage

With the game not being shown live in the UK, make sure you log on to Arsenal.com and the official app an hour before kick-off for Live From N5!

As well as the usual fun and games, Nicole Holliday and Femi Koleoso will be joined by a man with a foot in both camps in Niall Quinn, while star of Loki and The Night Manager Tom Hiddleston will also be in the studio.

Musician Hak Baker drops by to chat all-things Arsenal, while we’ll also hear from Arsenal Women’s history-makers after their FIFA Women’s Champions Cup success, before live commentary comes from Dan Roebuck and Adrian Clarke – you won’t want to miss it!

You can also find out which broadcasters are showing the action live, wherever you are in the world

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