Sunderland vs Arsenal

Sunderland have put together a solid run, remaining unbeaten in their three most recent matches. Their form includes a narrow home win over Fulham and a League Cup victory against Hull City, following a draw at Brentford. Arsenal enter this clash in excellent form, having won five of their last six matches. They have shown great consistency, including a recent win over Chelsea and a victory in the UEFA Champions League against Napoli, while maintaining a perfect record in away matches across their five most recent road trips.

The recent history between these two sides shows Arsenal holding an edge. In their two most recent meetings, Arsenal secured one victory, while the other fixture concluded in a draw.

• Sunderland are without H. Diarra and R. Mundle due to injury.
• Arsenal will be without W. Saliba, while C. Mosquera and J. Timber are in doubt.
• Arsenal have won all five of their most recent away matches.
• Sunderland have kept three clean sheets in their last six competitive games.

Arsenal appear to be in strong form as they head into this match, having secured victories in all of their recent away games. While Sunderland have shown resilience at home, the visitors have demonstrated superior consistency in the opening stages of the season. The overall balance of play points to a challenging outing for the home side.