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Confirmed Arsenal Team v Sunderland: Gunners Target Six Wins From Six

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Arsenal are back in Premier League action tonight as they face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, with Mikel Arteta’s side looking to continue their perfect start to the new season.

The Gunners have won all five of their matches in all competitions so far, but tonight’s fixture has plenty of reasons for Arsenal to be cautious. This is their second consecutive away game following Wednesday night’s hard-fought Champions League victory in Naples, while Sunderland have already shown how difficult they are to beat on their home turf.

Arsenal know what awaits at Sunderland

Arsenal have recent experience of just how difficult a trip to the Stadium of Light can be.

Last season’s corresponding fixture ended 2-2, with Brian Brobbey scoring late to deny Arsenal all three points after the Gunners had fought back from behind to lead. Arteta has made it clear that his players remember that experience and understand the kind of atmosphere and challenge they will face tonight.

Sunderland’s home record only strengthens that warning. They lost just four of their 19 home league matches last season and have won both of their matches at the Stadium of Light so far this campaign without conceding.

The Black Cats are also a difficult side to settle against. Their pressing, physical approach and willingness to play directly can disrupt opponents, while former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka adds plenty of experience to their midfield.

(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Confirmed Arsenal team

Arteta has now named the Arsenal side tasked with maintaining the Gunners’ 100 per cent start:

Sunderland v Arsenal Match Preview: Gunners Face Tough Stadium of Light Test.

After a demanding European trip in midweek, the challenge now is to produce another disciplined away performance against opponents who proved last season that they will keep fighting until the end.

Arsenal have the quality to win this, but they will need to match Sunderland’s intensity from the opening whistle.

What do you think of Arteta’s starting XI, Gooners? Has he picked the right team to get the three points at the Stadium of Light? Let us know in the comments.

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90 Comments

  3. Very good line-up. Lewis-Skelly has been stabilizing our midfield and I think Havertz will produce another goal or assist

    1. @Gai
      Happy to see Timber on the bench. I just feel it’s time for Afteta to start using Rice carefully so that he doesn’t experience Burn-out soon. . Guimaraes need more minutes to adjust to Arsenal style of play.
      IMO after we are in winning state, Gyokeres should come in he needs to gain match form. Putting him regularly on the bench won’t help him much. We can’t wait till Havertz get injured ti start using him.

      1. I think Guimaraes is still unfit to be a starter

        Gyokeres had too many chances to show his abilities as a starter since last season

        Gyokeres showed in pre-season games and in Naples that his link-up play, technical, movement and aerial abilities are still inferior to Havertz, which has been apparent since last season

        A big CF like him should at least engage in aerial duels, but he’s always reluctant to do so. He needs to be more explosive when he replaces Havertz

  4. Very good weekend so far; two of our potential rivals for the crown in Chelsea and Liverpool both held to stalemate
    Now let’s go in and take advantage
    COYG!!!

  6. Some unexpected results this afternoon
    And some not so unexpected – tee hee
    Let’s make sure that a strong lineup keeps up the win rate.

  7. Sadiki is a very capable midfielder who will need to be watched carefully by MLS if ,indeed he picks him up.Like others, i am delighted to see Timber on the bench.A tough match for sure, but I think we should manage a win.

  8. Expected some changes like Rice on the bench or Saka but we cannot afford to underestimate Sunderland. The aim is a 2 goal lead then taking both off at min 60.

    also doesnt want to risk Guimares i would think.

  14. Pardon if I confuse players due to wrong kit selection for 2 games in a row. Both wear similar shorts. Tonight 2nd blue kit was appropriate. Also all red v Napoli was incorrect

    1. I agree
      I thought today’s kit would have been better for the Napoli game too. And the all-blue away kit would have contrasted better with Sunderland’s home kit tonight

  18. Poor 1st half but at least we should have been ahead by 1
    Saka and Havertz both missed easy chances
    Need to be more quicker and clinical in the 2nd half

    1. I would call them chances, but not easy.
      As a rule of thumb imagine yourself as the attacker.
      I would have got Havertz on target but the keeper would have saved it, Saka’s chance the ball was in air and keeper too close, I would have struggled to convert that one myself.

  19. Is it only against Arsenal refs blow the whistle for half time before Arsenal’s corner is taken? PSG and tonight

  22. Sunderland look good mostly because of the massive effort they are putting in, but also some useful players.

    Sunderland will lose four nil to Man City at the end of a long week.

  24. Not sure about Saka tbh. Doesn’t seem to he any kind of threat recently. Although, I know he can do something out of nowhere. We need a bit more urgency in the second half because Sunderland are dealing with our attack quite easily. Let’s see..

    1. You can’t imagine Sunderland winning the league.
      Our squad has more quality than there’s.
      But on the night, Sunderland have brought the energy and physicality, and to be fair to them, that has levelled up the contest quite a bit. That’s how football works isn’t it. The World Cup winners opened up with draw against holiday island.

      Arteta only used 1 sub last year, this time, to make our squad superiority tell, he needs to use all 5.

  25. I’ve read Kane has transformed his mentality from scoring to assist mindset. So should Saka. He should not be neither

  26. Saka is not scoring nor assisting. He should be at one of these like Kane said he is now assisting more than scoring

    1. You can get up and party now. I’ll mix a Quantic Dream cocktail. Blue Gin, Elderflower Liqueur. lemon & tonic?

      Chelsea? Are you there Chelsea? That’s what a clean sheet looks like.

  28. Much like Wednesday night, we’ve had the possession, created, but failled with a couple of chances.

    1. I’m not sure. It’s a game of top trumps.
      Holding up the ball with strength while side transition, yes.
      Finishing?

  30. I feel Sunderland growing and us fading as the game goes on unless we change things. And I don’t mean just subs. What we’re doing is jot working.

  39. Great save from Raya and amazing shot from Guimaraes

    Arteta made an excellent substitution, because Lewis-Skelly didn’t play really well

    If I were Arteta, I’d replace Tzolis with Eze and Saka with Madueke

  41. Listening again 😡 on Arsenal.com. TNT doesn’t work abroad 😡😡

    I haven’t got the impression that Arsenal are on the back foot although they thought MLS and Tzolis weren’t having the best of times

    Sounded like the BG goal was a belter. Shame about Timber effort just now

    1. We’ve played fine Sue. Missed a few chances, Konsa was penalty all day. Sunderland been good, made it tough and had real chances.

    2. What about HBO working abroad?

      Arsenal were brilliant. Sunderland compared to Napoli shows Premier League 100x stronger than Champions League.

      Last year using only one sub, players too tired to close down at end, used all 5 subs okay today.

      Why’s others allowed to be rusty, if timber came on looking fresh and classy?

  49. I use to bite my nails on these performances, I dont anymore. Knew we would find a way, it’s just what we do now. Incredible.

  51. Couldn’t watch game. Not going to argue with scoreline and our current League standing. As I mentioned in an earlier post Tsiolis will have his good and bad days so needs to be carefully managed.

    1. I wasn’t sure about him at first, probably because he was abysmal last time in England, and his Farmer’s League stats look poor compared to Gyokeres farmers league stats. But Tzolis has this barrel chest he likes to puff out and come back tackling and knocking opponents over – obviously MA wouldn’t have signed him without that. Will be interesting to see how he kicks on.

  52. Really good, solid performance by the team. One of the hardest away games we’ll face this season in the PL.

    Some great saves by Raya, and a great strike by Bruno.

    UTA.

    1. They gave Raya man of match. Our centre backs and Rice stood up strong today.

      Many sides will comfortably beat Sunderland this season, who may yet flirt with relegation now their Euro campaign kicks in. City will gave no problem brushing them aside next week – one of mackem best players in the night can’t play next week after a soft looking penalty and Red at the end. Even if it was a foul for a penalty, does it have to be a card? Saka came down due to challenge outside box, not in it.

      1. No, Saka came down due to the foul in the box, and that’s why the defender got a second yellow card, which equals a red card.

        1. HD, Note the defender was also pulling Saka back by the top of his shirt which of course would have typically been a yellow offense.

    1. I thought Ballard was already going down and was never reaching the ball. Both pens were not pens. Ref, officials and VAR all rubbish today. And Commentator was bias as a paid up mackem, Lucy beside him was getting embarrassed how bias he was.

      1. Yeah, it’s kind of difficult not to go down with someone when they refuse to let go of your sleeve and yank you down with them. What a bunch of one trick pony thugs the black cats are.

        1. The five second throw in incensed me – but their long throw into box was taking twenty minutes longer to set up and throw in than he allowed us before he ruled against us, so handing throw to other side after five seconds in position it’s used for long throw into box and giving them much longer than five seconds is pathetic officiating.

          When does the five seconds begin? If someone dashes to a ball and tries to take it immediately, do they get five seconds? Then how to officiate the new rule when other players or teams take 30 seconds before they even touch a ball. It’s all over the shop in how it’s being applied.

          It seems new throw in rule disrespects how officials are influenced by home crowds howling, so is difficult to apply fairly.

          1. It really is getting ridiculous. They have a hard enough time with the old rules let alone all you describe with respect to the application of the throw in limits.
            The Konsa penalty call was an inappropriate attempt to be more assertive (which the league requested to begin this season) on set-play related foul calls . Brooks might not have seen what really went on from his angle but there was no excuse for VAR not sending him to the monitor.

            1. The penalty decision against Arsenal was a very bad call. Some people have called it “soft” which is nonsensical.
              The rationale given by the referee was incorrect and the VAR did not do what they should have done in this instance. VAR should have asked the on field referee to review the decision.
              Overall, it was a difficult, very physical game and Arsenal did well to come away with all three points. Arsenal still have some deficiencies in their attacking efficiency which could have made the game less stressful

                1. Ballard was never reaching the ball, going down under his attempt at it and dragging down the defender with him. Which of those facts are nonsensical?

          2. Moon Girl
            Under the new rules, extra time is allowed for long throws to allow both sides to set their players. Also, the five seconds only start at the ref’s discretion. Our throw-in players, White and Calafiori, are always slow, and unless they do something about it we’ll get regularly penalised. Whatever happened to the quick throw by the closest player?

  54. Guimaraes chose the perfect ground to score as a former Newcastle man. Typical his own goals. Magalhaes was always there to protect him from off ball aggression. Fantastic

  55. Deffo Arteta has some grudge against Gyokeres. It was a perfect moment for Gyokeres to get minutes as Havertz was not good. But but but a lame duck Havertz was thought to be better than the match fit Gyokeres. We can’t fault Arteta so long as the team is delivering

  56. Kai and Ricky played all minutes? So neither start next match.
    No Kai, Rice, Saka, Rampaging Ricky, for sure but we will still field a strong side for very difficult Ipswich game.
    Who will start right back for us, as maybe Timber not ready for 90 minutes? Will Ode be allowed a breather too? Who starts in goal?

    2. MG,
      You give us your probable line up for the Ipswich game.
      There was a poster named SJ who used to draft his own team line up before every Arsenal game

  57. For Ipswich፡
    Kepa –
    Timber – Mosquera – Hincapie – Skelly Zubimendi – Guimaraes – Merino
    Madueke – Gyokeres – Eze

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