Arsenal vs Sunderland: Five memorable meetings ahead of Premier League clash, writes Finlay Anderson.
A rare away win under one of the club’s worst managers, stoppage-time equalisers and cup victories that left fans dreaming of silverware...Sunderland’s meetings with Arsenal have rarely been short on drama.
As Regis Le Bris’ side head to the Emirates on Saturday, here are five of the Black Cats’ best-ever encounters with the Gunners.
Arsenal 1-2 Sunderland – November 5, 1983
You have to rewind over 40 years to find the Wearsiders’ last league win on Arsenal soil – and also a Sunderland win over Sunderland!
Heading into the Highbury contest on the back of three unbeaten away trips, Colin West’s rocket gave the Black Cats an early lead, which was extended by Ian Atkins’ deflected strike in the second half. Arsenal responded only three minutes later through Tony Woodcock, but Alan Durban’s side held firm, with Gary Rowell coming closest to adding a third as Sunderland held on for a famous win in North London.
But why Sunderland beating Sunderland? Midfielder Alan Sunderland was on the losing side.
Arsenal 2-3 Sunderland – November 6, 2002
In a season remembered for all the wrong reasons, the stand-out moment of the 02-03 campaign - and Howard Wilkinson’s otherwise grim five-month spell on Wearside - came at Highbury. Despite goals from Robert Pires and Francis Jeffers putting Arsenal in control of the Worthington Cup tie, a spirited second-half performance saw the Black Cats rescue their hopes of reaching the Millennium Stadium final.
Kevin Kyle sparked hopes of a comeback, before two goals in two minutes from Marcus Stewart and Darren Williams sealed a remarkable win. It was a far cry from most of Wilkinson’s reign, as he won only five out of 27 matches in charge, before being dismissed in March, with Sunderland eventually finishing the campaign bottom of the Premier League with 19 points.
Sunderland 1-0 Arsenal – November 21, 2009
Just a month after Darren Bent’s infamous beach ball goal against Liverpool, Wearside was in dreamland. Having narrowly avoided relegation in the previous season by finishing two points above the drop zone, Steve Bruce’s side sat in eighth place ahead of the visit with title-chasing Arsenal.
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Bent proved the difference again – scooping home the rebound from his deflected header over Manuel Almunia for the only goal of the game. The win marked the peak of a season that saw Bruce’s side fail to win another league game until March.
Sunderland 2-0 Arsenal – February 18, 2012
Despite the Gunners boasting Robin van Persie in attack and current boss Mikel Arteta in midfield, the Gunners were stunned in this FA Cup fifth-round meeting. Only a week after Thierry Henry’s late Premier League winner at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland began their mission for revenge when Kieran Richardson drilled a rocket into the bottom right corner to give the hosts an unexpected lead.
Arsenal piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser, but it was the Black Cats who struck again as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain bundled Seb Larsson’s low cross over his own goal line, leaving Martin O’Neill’s side dreaming of the Wembley arch.
Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal – November 8, 2025
If there ever was a match to sum up Sunderland’s 25-26 season to date, this is it. After Dan Ballard memorably thrashed home against his former club, the Gunners had looked to have swung the match in their favour with second-half goals from Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard. Yet Sunderland’s ‘Til the end’ motto lived on, as Le Bris’ side refused to roll over. Brian Brobbey outmuscled Gabriel in the penalty area in the 94th minute, before flicking the ball over David Raya to spark wild celebrations in the Stadium of Light.
There was still time for more drama, though, with Ballard producing a heroic goal-line block to deny Mikel Merino and preserve a point that almost felt like a win on Wearside.
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