Sunderland vs Arsenal Predictions

• Arsenal have kept six clean sheets in their last eight league games.
• Sunderland have won one of the last 29 Premier League head-to-heads.
• Arsenal have only conceded once in their five games this term.

Arsenal looking in ominous form

If any observers were concerned that Arsenal wouldn’t be able to back up their title-winning campaign from last season, those worries have been all but put to bed by the dominance which the Gunners have exerted early doors.

Mikel Arteta’s men have beaten Manchester City, Coventry, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Napoli by an aggregate score of 10-1.

They dominated in Naples on Wednesday, despite what the 1-0 scoreline might suggest. Arsenal racked up 4.05 expected goals and limited the Serie A outfit to just five shots.

Arteta has sometimes been criticised for his stockpiling of defenders but their strength in depth at the back is proving a real asset, with Jurrien Timber, Cristian Mosquera and William Saliba all likely to miss this clash but Ezri Konsa stepping up following his arrival from Aston Villa.

Any replication of that sort of form should see them rack up a comfortable win over Sunderland in this clash.

Black Cats’ poor record against these opponents

The Black Cats have had an inconsistent start to the new campaign, losing 2-1 to Ipswich before beating Fulham at home and then scraping a 1-1 draw with Brentford.

Regis Le Bris shuffled the pack for their midweek 1-0 win over Hull in the EFL Cup but this is a huge step up on that level of opponent and the hosts’ have a poor record against these opponents.

Sunderland have only won one of their last 29 Premier League meetings with these opponents, courtesy of a Darren Bent strike in a 1-0 win back in 2009.

More recently, Arsenal have put 16 past the Black Cats in the last five meetings between the pair and they have won four of those.

Sunderland failed to win any of their ten games against teams who finished in the top five last season and their struggles against top-class opposition could continue, particularly as the home side may have one eye on their first European game since 1973-74, which is on Thursday.

Gunners should still win comfortably

Take Arsenal to overcome a goal deficit on the handicap and continue their impressive recent form with a comfortable win.

Arteta’s men have kept six clean sheets in their last eight Premier League games and have only conceded once to start the new campaign, they are fancied to repeat their 3-0 win over these opponents in their last meeting.

Kai Havertz has had a very solid start to the season, netting twice in three games, and looks set to add to that tally here.

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