Arsenal head to the Stadium of Light on Saturday evening looking to maintain their flawless start to the 2026/27 campaign, with Mikel Arteta expected to reshuffle his side following Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Naples.
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Arsenal Team News Ahead of Sunderland Clash
Christos Tzolis and Kai Havertz are both expected to return to the starting eleven having been used from the bench in the win over Napoli, bringing fresh energy and pressing intensity to Arsenal’s forward line. William Saliba remains sidelined with a long-term back problem, while Cristhian Mosquera and Jurrien Timber are considered doubtful for the trip north following muscle and groin issues respectively.
There is also an outside chance that record signing Bruno Guimaraes could be handed his first Premier League start after impressing off the bench in midweek, though Arteta may prefer to ease him in gradually given his indifferent start to life in north London.
Predicted Arsenal XI (4-2-3-1)
Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Lewis-Skelly, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Tzolis; Havertz
Arsenal will be chasing a fourth successive Premier League win of the season, and go into the match having already recorded five straight victories in all competitions, while boasting the division’s meanest defensive record. The Gunners have not lost to Sunderland in the top flight since 2009, a run stretching seventeen matches, and thrashed the Black Cats 3-0 when the sides last met in February.
My Take
Arteta’s willingness to freshen up his attack, rather than simply repeat the same XI, feels like the right call given the physical demands of a midweek away trip in Europe. Tzolis has quickly become a genuine outlet on the left, and pairing him with a rested Havertz through the middle should give Sunderland’s back line plenty to think about on a night when the Stadium of Light atmosphere will be firmly against the visitors.
