Champions Arsenal head to the Stadium of Light looking to maintain a perfect start to the season, with Sunderland aiming to end a wretched historical record against the Gunners.
Sunderland vs ArsenalSee All Odds
Arsenal arrive on Wearside unbeaten in all five games this season, a run that includes wins over Coventry and Aston Villa either side of a Community Shield victory, and most recently a come-from-behind 2-1 London derby win over Chelsea last weekend.
That form was backed up in midweek with a 1-0 Champions League win at Napoli, and Mikel Arteta's side have conceded just once across their opening five matches in all competitions. Sunderland, meanwhile, have taken four points from their first three Premier League games back in the top flight, following up a home win over Fulham with a battling 1-1 draw at Brentford, though history offers little encouragement, with the Black Cats having won just once in 29 previous meetings with Arsenal.
Sunderland vs Arsenal Best Bet
Best Bet: Bukayo Saka - Anytime Goalscorer
Odds: 5/2 (Skybet)
Stake: 1pt
Saka has looked sharp since a slightly delayed return to action following England duty at the World Cup, scoring in two of his three appearances this season, and he arrives on the back of a hat-trick in England's third-place play-off at the tournament. His shot volume has been consistently healthy too, with counts of 6, 4, 2 and 3 across his four starts so far this campaign.
Arsenal's attacking play has been driven by Martin Odegaard's creativity in particular, and with the Norwegian pulling strings behind the front line, Saka is being fed regularly in dangerous positions. Against a Sunderland side who have already shipped goals in each of their last two matches, backing Saka to add to his tally on Wearside looks a strong angle.
Sunderland vs Arsenal Bet Builder Tip
Our Sunderland vs Arsenal Bet Builder Tip includes the following legs:
- No – Both Teams To Score
- Myles Lewis-Skelly Over 1.5 – Fouls Won
- Enzo Le Fee Over 1.5 – Shots
- Nordi Mukiele Over 1.5 – Tackles
Best odds available of 8/1 at Skybet while publishing.
The first leg backs no for both teams to score, leaning on Arsenal's defensive record so far this season. The Gunners remain the only side yet to concede a Premier League goal this term, and while this should be a closely contested affair given Sunderland's home form, Arteta's backline has been miserly enough to suggest they deal with whatever the Black Cats can muster at the Stadium of Light.
Myles Lewis-Skelly Over 1.5 Fouls Won follows, built around his evolving role in Arsenal's midfield. He's won 1, 2, 3, 2, 2 and 4 fouls across his last six games, clearing this mark in four of those six outings. Now used further infield and more involved in possession, Lewis-Skelly's press-resistant style, holding the ball under pressure rather than shifting it early, should continue to draw fouls from Sunderland's midfield as they try to win it back.
Enzo Le Fee Over 1.5 Shots is the next leg, and his numbers have been solid throughout his time at Sunderland. He's recorded shot counts of 3, 4, 0, 2, 2, 3, 0, 3 and 2 across his last nine matches for the club, and has picked up that form again this season with figures of 3, 4 and 0 in his three appearances, a run that includes his composed penalty conversion against Brentford. As Sunderland's primary source of midfield creativity, he should still find opportunities to shoot even against a stronger opponent.
The final leg is Nordi Mukiele Over 1.5 Tackles. He's recorded tackle counts of 4, 2, 2, 0, 0, 4, 1, 1 and 4 across his last nine games, and a similar spread of 2, 2, 0, 1, 4, 2, 0, 3, 3 and 2 at home over his last ten, clearing the mark in roughly half of those outings. With Arsenal's front line likely to dominate the ball for long spells, Mukiele should be called into repeated defensive actions trying to contain Saka and company down the flank.
Sunderland vs Arsenal Player Prop Bet
Best Bet: Brian Brobbey - Over 1.5 Fouls
Best Odds: 23/20 (BetVictor)
Stake: 1pt
Brobbey has exceeded 1.5 fouls in four of his last seven games, and his numbers across a longer sample back that trend, with counts of 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 3, 1, 0, 3, 3 and 1 across his last 12 appearances for Sunderland. As the focal point of the Black Cats' attack, he's regularly the one holding the ball up and engaging defenders physically, and that approach tends to draw fouls of his own as he battles to bring others into play.
Arsenal's own disciplinary numbers this season, having committed 16, 17 and 13 fouls across their three Premier League games, suggest a side happy to engage physically themselves, and with Brobbey leading the line against a well-organised Gunners backline, another combative shift that clears this line looks a solid angle to close out the card.
