Regis Le Bris’ high-flying side meet the Premier League leaders on Saturday. We look ahead to the clash with our Sunderland vs Arsenal prediction and preview.
Sunderland vs Arsenal: The Key Stats
Arsenal claimed all three points in a convincing 69.8% of pre-match simulations by the Opta supercomputer.
The Gunners have scored eight Premier League goals from corners this campaign – the most ever by a side in their first 10 games of a season.
Sunderland’s 18 points are the most a newly promoted side has won 10 games into a Premier League season since 2008-09.
Not many would have billed a November fixture between Sunderland and Arsenal as a top-of-the-table clash in the Premier League. However, last season’s Championship play-off winners are defying the odds.
Regis Le Bris’ side have made a fantastic start to life back in the top flight, sitting fourth in the league. A win at the Stadium of Light on Saturday would move them four points behind leaders Arsenal, who are six clear of second-placed Manchester City.
Premier League Table 2025-26 Before MD11
Sunderland have claimed 18 points, the most a newly promoted side has won 10 games into a Premier League season since Hull City in 2008-09 (20). Key to that success has been their form at home, where they are unbeaten in five games (W3 D2) after Monday’s 1-1 draw with Everton.
They last enjoyed a longer run without defeat at the Stadium of Light in the competition between August and December 2010 under Steve Bruce (9). Sunderland’s current streak may have ended last time out, however, if not for Everton’s first-half profligacy.
Captain Granit Xhaka dragged his side back level with a deflected second-half strike past former Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, and the Swiss international will be eager to impress against his old club on Saturday.
Xhaka made 225 Premier League appearances for Arsenal between 2016 and 2023, with 113 of those coming under Mikel Arteta. After his first goal in Sunderland colours against Everton, he will now be looking to score in consecutive Premier League games for the first time since March-April 2023.
Although Le Bris’ side are in red-hot form, they have not won any of their last 23 Premier League games against sides starting the day in the top four of the table (D7 L16). Their last such victory came against second-place Chelsea in April 2014, while their last win over the Premier League leaders was a 1-0 triumph against Man City in January 2012.
Atoning for that poor record may seem a tough ask, given Arsenal have won their last five Premier League matches, and 10 across all competitions. The Gunners last won more top-flight games in a row when they managed eight straight between April and August 2024.
Arteta’s side have also won their last four in the competition without conceding, but Arsenal have not managed five in a row with a clean sheet each time since a run from September to October 1987 under George Graham. They last saw their defence breached at the end of September in a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United.
Gabriel Magalhães has led a ridiculously strong defence in front of largely untested goalkeeper David Raya, who has only faced 19 shots on target in the 2025-26 competition. Arsenal have conceded just one attempt on target in their last four league games, while their season average of 1.9 faced per game is the lowest by a team Opta has on record in one campaign since 2003-04.
Arsenal Shots Faced Premier League 2025-26
It comes as no surprise that the two best xG differences in a game state in the Premier League this season have been Arsenal when they have been drawing (+5.70) and winning (+5.17). The Gunners are yet to concede a goal when leading this campaign, scoring eight goals when already ahead – only Man City have scored more (10).
At the other end, Arsenal have scored eight Premier League goals from corners this campaign – the most ever by a side in their first 10 games of a season. Stretching back to the start of 2022-23, Arteta’s set-piece specialists have scored 51 goals from corners in the competition, 14 more than any other team.
Viktor Gyökeres’ added to that set-piece scoring tally with a close-range finish against Burnley in a 2-0 win last time out in the league, but the Swedish striker will miss this clash after coming off at Turf Moor with a muscle issue.
His absence may relieve Sunderland, considering three of Gyökeres’ four Premier League goals for Arsenal have been against newly promoted clubs (two vs Leeds United, one vs Burnley). He has converted three of his four shots in these two games (75%), compared to only one in 16 against other sides (6%).
Gyökeres joins Noni Madueke, Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli in a host of injured absentees. Martín Zubimendi missed Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League, but will be assessed late before the trip north, while Gabriel Jesus has resumed training after a long layoff.
Omar Alderete will face a similar late fitness test for Sunderland, though Dennis Cirkin, Romaine Mundle, Leo Hjelde and Habib Diarra remained sidelined for the Black Cats.
Sunderland vs Arsenal Head-to-Head
Despite their strong start to the season, the odds are against Sunderland, who are winless in their last 15 Premier League games against Arsenal (D5 L10).
They last beat the Gunners with a 1-0 home victory back in November 2009, though there is some reason for optimism at the Stadium of Light.
All three of Arsenal’s Premier League defeats against Sunderland have come away from home, and all by a 1-0 scoreline (January 1997, August 2000, November 2009).
In keeping with their remarkable defensive record this campaign, though, Arsenal have never conceded more than once in 16 visits to Sunderland in the competition.
Sunderland vs Arsenal Prediction
The Opta supercomputer struggled to look past an away victory as Arsenal triumphed in a convincing 69.8% of 10,000 pre-match simulations.
Sunderland were only afforded a 13.5% chance of winning in the same data-led sims, while the draw was rated more likely than a home triumph at 16.7%.
Sunderland vs Arsenal Prediction
Sunderland vs Arsenal Predicted Lineups
Sunderland: Robin Roefs, Trai Hume, Nordi Mukiele, Dan Ballard, Lutsharel Geertruida, Reinildo Mandava, Bertrand Traoré, Noah Sadiki, Granit Xhaka, Enzo Le Fée, Wilson Isidor.
Head coach: Regis Le Bris
Arsenal: David Raya, Jurriën Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Riccardo Calafiori, Eberechi Eze, Martín Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Mikel Merino.
Head coach: Mikel Arteta
Opta Power Rankings
The Opta Power Rankings are a global team ranking system. They assign an ability score to over 15,000 domestic football teams. This score is on a scale between zero and 100, where zero is the worst-ranked team in the world and 100 is the best team in the world.
Ahead of kick-off this weekend, here is the Opta Power Ranking for both sides.
Premier League Stats Opta
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