Sunderland drew 1-1 at Brentford last Saturday
Arsenal's perfect start continued with a 1-0 win at Napoli on Wednesday
Recommended bet: Arsenal to win, Martin Odegaard to Score or Give an Assist and Granit Xhaka over 0.5 shots on target @ 14/1 with LiveScore Bet
Arsenal won far more games on their travels than they lost last season, though a 2-2 draw at Sunderland in November should remind Mikel Arteta that the Black Cats are no pushovers.
Arteta was furious when Brian Brobbey equalised late in a game Arsenal had bossed, though at least there were no long-term repercussions from dropping two points.
Arsenal go back to the Stadium of Light as Premier League champions, on a five-game winning run and looking to dampen the Wearsiders' spirits a few days before Regis Le Bris' men make their Europa League bow.
Team News
Romaine Mundle and Habib Diarra remain out for Sunderland who could be unchanged from last weekend's 1-1 draw at Brentford.
For Arsenal, Jurrien Timber and Ben White are fit, as is Cristhian Mosquera, though it is hard to see him displacing Ezri Konsa alongside Gabriel Maghalaes, with William Saliba still sidelined.
The Stats
Arsenal have played five and won five this season and have conceded only one goal in those games
Sunderland's two home games this season have produced 1-0 wins over Fulham in the Premier League and Hull in the EFL Cup
Sunderland have had only five shots against them in their opening three games, the best record in the Premier League (Arsenal have had 6)
Martin Odegaard has scored in four of Arsenal's five games this season and is averaging two shots per game
Granit Xhaka leads all Sunderland players this season in successful passes (163), touches (243), chancescreated (7) and fouls won (8)
The latest Sunderland vs Arsenal odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
One of Arsenal's few blunders during a supreme first half of last season was not to hold on for a win at Sunderland in November.
They were 2-1 up and had played well, but were sucker-punched by Brian Bobbey in added time as the game ended 2-2.
Martin Odegaard was missing that day, absent during a seven-week lay-off which was the story of his season.
This term, though, the Norwegian is fit, firing, creating, and scoring, and he is worth backing to score or assist.
Odegaard had six assists and a goal in 25 appearances last term but he looks a different player in 2026-27, with four goals in five matches.
The smile is back, the swagger is back and in a game which Arsenal will boss but against a rugged defence which has given up only five shots on target so far, take the Gunners' playmaker to make the difference.
Arsenal are rock-solid 21/50 shots with LiveScore Bet, a price that is hard to dispute but Sunderland will be inspired by their ex-Arsenal grafter Granit Xhaka.
The Swiss is a real leader and has extra motivation against his former club, so look for him to register an effort on target.
Score prediction: Sunderland 1-2 Arsenal
Back Martin Odegaard to Score or Give an Assist @ 7/5 with LiveScore Bet
