Excessive-flying Sunderland face their greatest take a look at to this point as they host league leaders Arsenal on the Stadium of Gentle on Saturday (17:30 GMT). BBC Sport explores some key themes surrounding this fixture.
Sunderland’s Xhaka set for emotional reunion
Promoted Sunderland’s distinctive begin to this Premier League marketing campaign has been properly documented.
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Their whole of 18 factors from the opening 10 video games is the perfect return by a newly promoted aspect for 17 years.
That aspect was Hull Metropolis in 2008-09, who amassed 20 factors from their first 10 matches earlier than an alarming drop in kind. Phil Brown’s staff collected a meagre 15 from their remaining 28 fixtures and ended the season only a level above the relegation zone in seventeenth.
Hull’s sharp decline is a reminder of the Premier League’s unforgiving nature and Saturday’s conflict with Arsenal is prone to be the hardest take a look at but for Regis Le Bris and his gamers.
A lot of the main focus this weekend shall be on midfielder Granit Xhaka, because the 33-year-old – who scored his first Sunderland aim on Monday evening – is ready to face his former membership this weekend.
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Xhaka made 225 Premier League appearances for the Gunners between 2016 and 2023, with 113 of these coming underneath their present boss Mikel Arteta. The Swiss worldwide is one among simply 9 gamers to characterize each golf equipment within the division, together with Nicklas Bendtner and Steve Bould.
[BBC]
[BBC]
Europe’s greatest defence
Arsenal’s rise to the highest of the Premier League desk has primarily been constructed on defence.
Their clear sheet on Tuesday evening was their eighth in a row in all competitions, equalling a 122-year-old membership document.
The earlier feat was achieved by Woolwich Arsenal in 1903 and it was between seasons, which makes this present run all of the extra spectacular.
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Their previous 4 wins have all come with out conceding and the Gunners final gained 5 successive league video games with out letting in a aim some 38 years in the past underneath George Graham.
The Gunners have the perfect defensive document of any staff in Europe’s prime 5 leagues this time period, with essentially the most shut-outs, the fewest targets conceded and fewest photographs on the right track confronted per sport.
Mikel Arteta’s aspect have conceded solely 19 photographs on the right track within the Premier League this season, together with only one throughout their final 4 matches. Their common of 1.9 photographs on the right track confronted per sport is the bottom since Opta’s data started in 2003-04.
The league leaders have a watertight defence, one of many deepest squads in Europe and have scored eight top-flight targets from corners this season – essentially the most ever by a aspect of their first 10 video games of a season.
Latest historical past can be on their aspect on this fixture. The Gunners are unbeaten of their previous 15 Premier League conferences with Sunderland, successful 10 and drawing 5.