Sunderland vs Arsenal Preview

Sunderland host Arsenal at the Stadium of Light on Saturday evening in what promises to be a fascinating Premier League encounter between a side enjoying a solid campaign and visitors in exceptional form. The Black Cats have shown resilience and quality this season, while the Gunners arrive on Wearside having won their last five matches across all competitions. This clash will test Sunderland’s credentials against one of the division’s elite sides and provide Arsenal with an opportunity to continue their relentless pursuit of silverware.

Sunderland’s recent form has been encouraging, with three wins, one draw, and one defeat from their last five matches. Their most recent outing saw them earn a hard-fought 1-1 draw at home to Everton on November 3rd, a result that maintained their unbeaten home record. In their previous outing, they claimed an impressive 2-1 away victory at Chelsea on October 25th, one of the results of the season so far. Earlier in this sequence, they secured a comfortable 2-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on October 18th. Their only defeat in this period came when they lost 2-0 away to Manchester United on October 4th. They also recorded a 1-0 away victory at Nottingham Forest on September 27th, demonstrating their ability to grind out results on the road. The home side will be without several players, with Habib Diarra, Leo Hjelde, Romaine Mundle, Dennis Cirkin, and Aji Alese all ruled out. These absences will test their squad depth, particularly in defensive areas where injuries have accumulated.

Arsenal arrive at the Stadium of Light in imperious form, having won all five of their last matches across domestic and European competitions. Their most recent fixture saw them demolish Slavia Prague 3-0 away in the Champions League on November 4th, a performance that underlined their credentials on multiple fronts. Prior to that European triumph, they secured a professional 2-0 away victory at Burnley in the Premier League on November 1st. Earlier in this sequence, they dispatched Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 at home in the Carabao Cup on October 29th. They also claimed a 1-0 home win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League on October 26th. Their impressive run began with a commanding 4-0 home victory over Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on October 21st. The visitors’ injury situation is more severe than their hosts, with Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, Martin Ødegaard, and Viktor Gyökeres all ruled out. Despite these absences, Arsenal’s squad depth has allowed them to maintain their excellent form, though the loss of key creative players could impact their attacking fluency.

The head-to-head record overwhelmingly favors Arsenal, who have won four of the last five meetings while one finished level. Arsenal secured a dominant 5-1 home victory in the Carabao Cup in December 2021, showcasing their ability to overwhelm Sunderland when in full flow. They also claimed a 2-0 home win in the Premier League in May 2017. Most impressively, Arsenal won 4-1 away at Sunderland in October 2016, demonstrating they can produce commanding performances at the Stadium of Light. The only match Sunderland avoided defeat was a 0-0 draw at home in April 2016. Arsenal also secured a 3-1 home victory in the FA Cup in January 2016. This historical dominance will give the visitors confidence, though Sunderland’s current form suggests they are a more competitive proposition than in previous encounters.

Both managers are expected to deploy their preferred systems, with Sunderland likely to set up in a 5-4-1 formation designed to frustrate Arsenal’s attacking threat, while the visitors should employ their familiar 4-2-3-1 shape. The tactical battle will center around Sunderland’s ability to remain compact and organized against Arsenal’s fluid attacking movement. The hosts will need their wing-backs to provide both defensive solidity and occasional attacking width to relieve pressure. Arsenal will look to dominate possession and create openings through their technical superiority, though they may find the Stadium of Light atmosphere and Sunderland’s organization challenging to break down. The absence of key creative players like Martin Ødegaard could impact Arsenal’s ability to unlock a well-drilled defense.

The match kicks off at 17:30 GMT on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, and fans around the world can tune in to catch all the action. In the United Kingdom, the match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, and Sky Ultra HD, with streaming available via Sky Go UK, NOW, and SKY GO Extra. American viewers can watch on fuboTV, UNIVERSO NOW, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, Amazon Prime Video, and NBCUNIVERSO. Canadian fans have coverage through DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Amazon Prime Video, and Fubo Sports Network 7 Canada. In Brazil, the match is available on Zapping, Claro TV+, Disney+ Premium Brazil, Sky+, Vivo Play, and ESPN Brazil.

Injured Players: Sunderland: Habib Diarra (Out), Leo Hjelde (Out), Romaine Mundle (Out), Dennis Cirkin (Out), Aji Alese (Out)

Arsenal: Gabriel Jesus (Out), Kai Havertz (Out), Noni Madueke (Out), Martin Ødegaard (Out), Viktor Gyökeres (Out)

Both teams face significant injury challenges with five players ruled out each. Sunderland’s absences are concentrated in defensive positions, weakening their backline options. Arsenal miss key attacking players including their primary playmaker Ødegaard, though their superior squad depth should help them cope better with these setbacks.

Possible Line-Ups:

Sunderland (5-4-1) Roefs, Ballard, Traoré, Mukiele, Geertruida, Xhaka, Isidor, Mandava, Fée, Hume, Huggins

Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Timber, Raya, Calafiori, Martinelli, Magalhães, Rice, Saliba, Zubimendi, Eze, Merino, Saka

Sunderland Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
D	Sunderland	1-1	Everton	English Premier League	Nov 3, 2025
W	Chelsea	1-2	Sunderland	English Premier League	Oct 25, 2025
W	Sunderland	2-0	Wolverhampton Wanderers	English Premier League	Oct 18, 2025
L	Manchester United	2-0	Sunderland	English Premier League	Oct 4, 2025
W	Nottingham Forest	0-1	Sunderland	English Premier League	Sep 27, 2025

Arsenal Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
W	Slavia Prague	0-3	Arsenal	Champions League	Nov 4, 2025
W	Burnley	0-2	Arsenal	English Premier League	Nov 1, 2025
W	Arsenal	2-0	Brighton & Hove Albion	English Carabao Cup	Oct 29, 2025
W	Arsenal	1-0	Crystal Palace	English Premier League	Oct 26, 2025
W	Arsenal	4-0	Atlético Madrid	Champions League	Oct 21, 2025

Head-to-Head Record

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
Arsenal	5-1	Sunderland	English Carabao Cup	Dec 21, 2021
Arsenal	2-0	Sunderland	English Premier League	May 16, 2017
Sunderland	1-4	Arsenal	English Premier League	Oct 29, 2016
Sunderland	0-0	Arsenal	English Premier League	Apr 24, 2016
Arsenal	3-1	Sunderland	English FA Cup	Jan 9, 2016

TV Listings / Streaming

Country	Broadcaster
United Kingdom	Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra HD
USA	fuboTV, UNIVERSO NOW, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, Amazon Prime Video, NBCUNIVERSO
Canada	DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Amazon Prime Video, Fubo Sports Network 7 Canada
Brazil	Zapping, Claro TV+, Disney+ Premium Brazil, Sky+, Vivo Play, ESPN Brazil
Germany	Sky Go, WOW, Amazon Prime Video, Sky Sport Premier League
Spain	DAZN Spain, Amazon Prime Video
France	myCANAL, Canal+ Foot, Canal+ Live 4
Australia	Stan Sport
India	JioHotstar, Star Sports Select HD1, Star Sports Select 1
Nigeria	DStv Now, SuperSport Premier League Nigeria, SuperSport MaXimo 2