Preview

Saturday eighth November 2025Sunderland v Arsenal – Premier LeagueStadium of Gentle Kick-Off: 17:30Tickets & Match Protection

Tickets: Tickets are offered out.

TV/Stream: Full stay match protection is out there through Sky Sports activities.

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Radio: Full stay match commentary out there through BBC Radio Newcastle (not on-line)

The build-up…

We’ve all seen these weekends over time the place it finally ends up being a weekend the place Sky Sports activities have a double invoice that pits the highest 4 in opposition to one another – and most of us thought it was by design, however this one isn’t.

We tackle league leaders Arsenal from a place of 4th within the desk underneath the floodlights, in full gaze of the cameras in right this moment’s 17:30 kick-off, whereas tomorrow, the 2 sides immediately above us – Manchester Metropolis & Liverpool – meet on the Etihad. I’m certain Sky Sports activities would moderately change us with a Chelsea, Spurs or Manchester United, however we’re going to benefit from the second.

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How a lot we sit up for it relies on your view of our dwelling kind, particularly during the last couple of video games. Away from dwelling, we glance to have a strong recreation plan, popping out of the blocks early and being on the entrance foot when it comes to the press whereas having a strong construction and being fast on the break. At dwelling, it appears like we’re but to search out that good resolution, regardless of successful three and drawing two of the 5 on the Stadium of Gentle to date.

Our win over West Ham got here after they did not convert early probabilities, and so they crumbled like previous biscuits as soon as we acquired our noses in entrance, whereas the victory over Brentford may have gone both method, taking into consideration the slender offside and a penalty miss.

The draw in opposition to Aston Villa was arguably our greatest efficiency, however we have been required to play like we do away after the crimson card. We weren’t wholly convincing in opposition to Wolves, who have been fairly dire, and the opening half an hour in opposition to Everton was maybe our worst interval of a recreation to date this season.

All of this factors to the actual fact we’re getting outcomes at dwelling – 11 factors from a doable 15 – however we’re in all probability but to place in a whole efficiency on dwelling soil, and it’s a case of imagining what occurs once we do, and what if that’s right this moment in opposition to the league leaders?

Is that this the 12 months they win the Premier League title after 21 years? Properly, you in all probability wouldn’t wager in opposition to them wanting on the league desk, and the way the remainder of the chasing pack are both tripping over themselves attempting to communicate, or in our case, simply glad to be there for a time period.

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It’s perhaps the signal of the occasions that if we glance again to the twenty second September – simply lower than seven weeks in the past – it was the day after Arsenal had drawn in opposition to Manchester Metropolis on the Emirates, and the hive thoughts that’s social media determined there after which that Arteta was as soon as once more arising brief in his seek for the title. 5 successive wins later and he’s the mastermind behind their newest, and maybe best so far, title problem.

They’re present favourites with the bookies for not solely the Premier League title, but additionally the Champions League and it’s the scientific methodology that’s catching the attention when this facet is in comparison with one from earlier years. The final objective they conceded was at St James’ Park on the twenty eighth September, and they’re but to concede a objective within the Champions League – by the way, solely Arsenal have conceded fewer objectives than ourselves within the prime flight.

We can have finished very effectively to have maintained our unbeaten dwelling report on the remaining whistle of right this moment’s recreation, but when we would like a straw or two to clutch, we will firstly take a look at the truth that the Gunners travelled to Prague and again in midweek, however we will additionally take a look at their record of gamers unavailable by way of harm. Noni Madueke, Gabriel, Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Viktor Gyokeres are all lacking, so if we’re to face an opportunity, I’m undecided there shall be a greater time to take them on.

The betting…

The bookies have the Lads at 7/1 to win the sport, whereas Arsenal are priced at 4/11, and the draw is 15/4.

Face to face… at Sunderland…

(All competitions)

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Final time we met… on the Stadium of LightSaturday twenty ninth October 2016Premier LeagueSunderland 1-4 Arsenal

[Defoe (pen) 65’ – Sanchez 19, 78’, Giroud 71’, 76’]

Sunderland: Pickford, Jones, O’Shea (Djilobodji), Kone, Van Aanholt, Rodwell, Ndong, Khazri, Watmore (Gooch), Pienaar (Januzaj), Defoe Substitutes not used: Mika, Love, Manquillo, Anichebe

Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Gibbs, Coquelin (Maitland-Niles), Mustafi, Koscielny, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Ramsey), Elneny, Sanchez, Ozil, Iwobi (Giroud) Substitutes not used: Ospina, Jenkinson, Holding, Gabriel

Attendance: 44,322

Performed for each…Steve Bould

There are a pair issues I took from watching Steve Bould in a Sunderland strip all these years in the past. Firstly, he was approaching his thirty seventh birthday when he signed for us, and if he was that good at that stage of his profession, then simply how good should it have been to have watched him as an Arsenal fan when he was in his prime?

Secondly, he completed his profession with solely two England caps, and though we had numerous good central defenders from the mid-Nineteen Eighties and thru the Nineties, it’s nonetheless a thriller to me how he didn’t get extra.

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Bould began out at his hometown membership Stoke Metropolis, and commenced life within the coronary heart of their defence with a sure Denis Smith, who was within the later levels of his profession as Bould got here by way of. He would spend round eight years with the Potters from making his debut, earlier than becoming a member of George Graham’s Arsenal, the place he would turn out to be a part of a well-known defensive unit.

Eleven years on the prime with Arsenal included successful league titles, lifting FA Cups, League Cups, and a Cup Winners Cup, earlier than his time was finished, and Peter Reid persuaded him to see out his days with Sunderland. He was an instrumental determine in Reid’s facet ending seventh within the Stadium of Gentle’s first 12 months within the Premier League, however accidents would meet up with him, and he retired in 2000.

He coached at Arsenal for a few years earlier than changing into assistant to Wenger, and he’s now the defensive coach at QPR.

Prediction…Sunderland 0-1 Arsenal

It acquired me nowhere being optimistic in opposition to Everton. However right this moment we doubtlessly play essentially the most scientific facet in Europe and it may be a case of organising a recreation plan as if we’re taking part in away, which could swimsuit us a bit extra. However I’m going to go along with the normal 1-0 to the Arsenal.