Sunderland welcome the Premier League champions to Wearside this Saturday in what is comfortably their biggest test since the season kicked-off.

Regis Le Bris' Black Cats scraped past Hull City 1-0 in the EFL Cup third round on Tuesday night thanks to Chemsdine Talbi's second-half strike, a result that keeps momentum ticking after a solid enough league start.

Sunderland took two points off the eventual champions last season thanks to Brian Brobbey’s stoppage-time equalizer, and their home form was crucial in their eventual Europa League berth.

The Black Cats have started 2026–27 with a pair of home wins in two competitions, having amassed four points through three league outings. They’ve recovered from an opening weekend defeat at Ipswich Town, since beating Fulham 1–0 and securing a useful point away at Brentford.

However, there’s currently no sterner challenge in soccer right now than Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. Captain Martin Ødegaard believes the Gunners are operating on "another level", and Sunderland boss Régis Le Bris has said, entering the game, that Saturday’s visitors are the "best team in the world".

Arsenal have started their title defense with three wins from three, and they overcame Chelsea’s challenge last weekend. A 2–1 scoreline in that affair perhaps didn’t reflect the Gunners’ superiority.

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Le Bris rang the changes for Hull in the Carabao Cup and will restore his big guns here. The headline return is captain Granit Xhaka, who faces his former club Arsenal for the first time since leaving North London in 2023 after seven years at the Emirates. His reception should be respectful, unlike another midfielder.

Sunderland are in good shape injury-wise. Habib Diarra and Romaine Mundle are expected to be the only absentees.

Despite Talbi's winner in midweek, Ecuadorian winger Nilson Angulo is expected to start on the left. Le Bris will want raw pace to target the space behind Arsenal's full-backs - arguably the only way to hurt this Arsenal side. New loan signing Kevin Danso from Tottenham has slotted straight in and should partner Dan Ballard at centre-back.

Sunderland predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Roefs; Mukiele, Danso, Ballard, Mandava; Sadiki, Xhaka; Hume, Le Fee, Angulo; Brobbey.

Arteta made four changes in Naples, with Kai Havertz, Riccardo Calafiori, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Christos Tzolis all rested from the start.

Midfield is the big talking point. Lewis-Skelly is battling Bruno Guimarães for a start, with the Brazilian getting minutes off the bench on Wednesday. His return to the North East will be hostile to say the least given his Newcastle United past - the Stadium of Light will not be kind.

At the back, Ezri Konsa has been seamless alongside Gabriel and should keep his place even if Cristhian Mosquera is back from injury. William Saliba remains out, while Jurrien Timber has work to do to displace Ben White at right-back.

Arsenal predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Odegaard, Tzolis; Havertz.

Sunderland's home form and set-piece threat with Xhaka and Ballard makes them dangerous, but Arsenal's control and depth is on another level. The champions have not conceded more than once in any game this season.

Score Prediction: Sunderland 1-2 Arsenal