📏 Form Guide

Sunderland

DWLWWD

Sunderland will play in this match after a 1-1 Premier League drawn match against Everton.

In that match, Sunderland managed 61% possession and 17 shots at goal with 3 on target. The only player to score for Sunderland was Granit Xhaka (46'). At the other end, Everton had 8 shots on goal with 2 of them on target. Iliman Ndiaye (15') scored for Everton.

Fewer than three goals per game were seen in 5 of the past 6 meetings where Sunderland have taken part. Breaking down the goal split during that period, their opponents scored a total of 5 while Sunderland totted up 7.

Taking a look at their past results, Sunderland:

• have not emerged victorious against Arsenal in their last 15 league games. A shocking run, it really is.
• are undefeated in their previous 5 league matches at home.

Arsenal

WWWWWW 🎯

Arsenal come into this meeting after a 0-3 Champions League win in the defeat of Slavia Prague in their previous match.

In that match, Arsenal managed 57% possession and 14 shots on goal with 8 of them on target. For Arsenal, the scorers were Bukayo Saka (32') and Merino (46', 68'). At the other end, Slavia Prague got 9 shots on goal with 1 of them on target.

A sequence of dependable showings by the Arsenal defence has seen their ‘goals against’ tally amounting to 0 from their previous 6 outings in total. In that time, their forwards have scored 12. That pattern isn’t assured to be sustained here, of course.

A look at their previous results shows us that Arsenal:

• are undefeated by Sunderland in games played away from home for the previous 7 league matches. Away fans have certainly had plenty to cheer about.
• are undefeated in their last 3 away league matches.

🤜🤛 Head to head

An inspection of their past head to head meetings going back to 05/12/2015 reveals that these fixtures have been a source of anguish for Sunderland. They’ve not been able to get any victories at all whereas Arsenal have been too good for them, running out winners in 83 per cent of those ties.

An aggregate of 21 goals were shared by the two clubs throughout the course of those matches, with 4 of them from The Black Cats and 17 for The Gunners. That’s an average goals per game figure of 3.5.

🗞️ Team News: Sunderland

The Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris will be thankful to have no fitness worries at all ahead of this game thanks to a completely injury-free group available to select from.

It seems likely that The Black Cats will possibly use a 3-2-4-1 system for the game and select Robin Roefs, Nordi Mukiele, Daniel Ballard, Lutsharel Geertruida, Trai Hume, Reinildo, Bertrand Traore, Granit Xhaka, Noah Sadiki, Enzo Le Fee and Wilson Isidor.

📋 Team News: Arsenal

Thanks to a fully healthy group to pick from, the Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta does not have any fitness worries at all before this clash.

There’s a good chance that The Gunners seem most likely to utilise a 4-2-3-1 system with a starting lineup of David Raya, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori, Christian Noergaard, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard and Mikel Merino.

🧠 Prediction

Our feeling is that Sunderland certainly have the ability to find the net against this Arsenal outfit, however a single goal likely won’t prevent defeat.

We’ve gone for a very close game with a 1-2 advantage for Arsenal when the referee blows the final whistle. There shouldn’t be much in it, either way.