Xhaka Returns as Sunderland Target Historic Arsenal Start

Sunderland, England — Sunderland has won its last two Premier League matches at the Stadium of Light, defeating London clubs Chelsea and Fulham. The Black Cats last won three consecutive Premier League home games between January and February 2012 under manager Martin O’Neill, beating Manchester City, Swansea City, and Norwich City.

Granit Xhaka will face Arsenal on Saturday when Sunderland hosts the reigning Premier League champion at the Stadium of Light. The midfielder spent seven seasons with Arsenal between 2016 and 2023, making nearly 300 appearances and winning two FA Cups.

Since arriving Wearside, Xhaka has become a central figure in Sunderland’s midfield. Through the opening weeks of the season, the Swiss international leads all Sunderland players in total touches (243), completed passes (163), chances created (7), passes delivered into the penalty box (26), and fouls drawn (8).

Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris has named an unchanged starting lineup from last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Brentford. The club has four points from its opening three league matches, with Xhaka starting alongside Noah Sadiki and Enzo Le Fée.

Sunderland Starting XI: Roefs, Mandava, Ballard, Danso, Mukiele, Sadiki, Xhaka, Angulo, Le Fée, Meunier, Brobbey.
Sunderland Substitutes: To follow.

At the Stadium of Light, Sunderland has managed one win in its last 14 league fixtures against Arsenal, along with five draws and eight losses. The Black Cats have lost five of their last seven home meetings with Arsenal, although the corresponding fixture last season ended in a 2-2 draw.

Arsenal has faced Sunderland as defending league champions only once before in the Premier League era. During the 2002–03 season, Arsenal recorded a 3-1 home win and a 4-0 victory at the Stadium of Light.

Arsenal arrives on Wearside tied with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table. Mikel Arteta’s team has won all four of its competitive matches across all competitions this season, including a 1-0 away victory against Napoli in the UEFA Champions League group stage on Wednesday.

Arteta has made four changes to the team that won in Naples, bringing Kai Havertz, Christos Tzolis, Riccardo Calafiori, and Myles Lewis-Skelly into the starting XI.

Arsenal Starting XI: Raya, Calafiori, Gabriel, Konsa, White, Lewis-Skelly, Rice, Tzolis, Odegaard, Saka, Havertz.
Arsenal Substitutes: To follow.

Arsenal matches Sunderland’s defensive frugality with the league’s lowest expected goals against (xGA) figure at 0.93. Arsenal has conceded only six shots on target, second only to Sunderland’s five.

Sunderland has allowed just five shots on target across its matches, the lowest total of any team in the Premier League. The team is seeking to derail Arsenal’s bid for a historic start to the league campaign.

A win on Saturday would give Arsenal four consecutive league victories to open a season for the sixth time in its top-flight history. Arsenal won the league title in three of the previous five instances—1930–31, 1947–48, and the unbeaten 2003–04 season—and finished as runners-up in the other two, 2004–05 and 2022–23.

Kai Havertz has covered 32.9 kilometers this season, more than any other striker in the Premier League. The German forward has also recorded 50 high-intensity sprints, behind only Gonzalo García’s 52 among top-flight forwards.

Christos Tzolis ranks second in the Premier League for open-play chance creation with eight chances, behind only Chelsea’s Morgan Rogers, who has nine. Tzolis recorded his first assist of the season in Arsenal’s previous league win against Chelsea.

Sunderland has won only one of its last 29 Premier League meetings with Arsenal, drawing 10 and losing 18. The Black Cats are winless in their last 17 league games against the Gunners, with six draws and 11 losses, since a 1-0 home victory in November 2009 when Darren Bent scored the game’s lone goal.

Sunderland does have a separate home trend against reigning league champions. Each of the club’s four Premier League home victories against defending champions came against a different opponent: Manchester United in 1996–97, Manchester City in 2012–13, Chelsea in 2015–16, and Leicester City in 2016–17.

Saturday’s match is scheduled for a 20:00 BST kickoff. It will air live in the United Kingdom on TNT Sports 1, while global streaming will be available via the HBO Max platform starting at £30.99 per month. The match is scheduled for 15:00 Eastern Time and 12:00 Pacific Time.

Co-table leaders Manchester City, level on points with Arsenal at the top of the standings, are scheduled to play Manchester United on Sunday at Old Trafford at 16:30 BST.