Mikel Arteta’s side travel to the Stadium of Light on Saturday knowing they will remain top of the Premier League regardless of the result, but few expect an easy afternoon against Régis Le Bris’s resurgent Sunderland.
The newly promoted side have been one of the stories of the season, sitting fourth after 10 games, with only two defeats since returning to the top flight. Organised, combative and tactically astute, Sunderland have developed a reputation for suffocating more established teams, their energy and compact structure making them a far cry from the yo-yo outfit of a decade ago.
Arsenal, meanwhile, arrive in the North East chasing an 11th consecutive victory in all competitions and an eighth successive clean sheet. Their 2-0 win over Slavia Prague in midweek not only sealed control of their Champions League qualification but equalled a club record for consecutive clean sheets that had stood since 1903.
That defensive resilience has come amid a wave of attacking injuries. Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Martin Ødegaard, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyökeres all remain unavailable. Arteta confirmed on Friday that there were “no new issues” following the trip to Prague, but hinted that some absentees could return after the international break. “We remain the same and nobody new that can join the squad, so all the same,” he said. Asked whether the injured players would be fit for the North London derby later this month, he added: “I think it will be really close for them to be in a strong position.”
There was a glimmer of positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, who returned to full training this week following a lengthy spell out with a knee injury. While not yet ready for selection, his return to the main group is a significant milestone. “I don’t know. Now is about making the steps day by day, in different surroundings,” said Arteta. “Now he has competitive players around him, see how he copes with that.”
At 7bet, the odds for Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures often adjust depending on the availability of their star players. With so many out, the odds of Arsenal winning shorten marginally, reflecting the difference their presence makes on the pitch. Bettors who follow team news closely understand how one player, especially someone like Bukayo Saka or Odegaard, can swing a match in or out of Arsenal’s favour.
Sunderland’s own fitness issues are considerable. Mouhamadou Diarra, Leo Hjelde, Romaine Mundle, Dennis Cirkin and AjiAlese are all unavailable, while winger Omar Alderete faces a late test after a head injury. “We don’t know yet [whether he’ll be fit to face Arsenal], he had a residual symptom, so we have to assess his health,” Le Bris said earlier this week.
Much of the build-up has centred on Granit Xhaka, the former Arsenal captain who has been revitalised under Le Bris since his summer move from Bayer Leverkusen. The 33-year-old has been handed the armband and described his time on Wearside as “an incredible start”. “It is not usually the case that a player comes in and is made captain, but the club had a clear plan with me for the future and what they wanted from me,” he said. “I’m 33 now and with my experience in the UK and abroad, I have had many coaches in my career where I took a lot from them. I’m very happy to be in England and at Sunderland. I knew the club was huge with its history and its fanbase, but I can feel it now.”
Le Bris has praised his influence, describing Xhaka as “like a second coach on the pitch” and noting that his leadership has exceeded expectations. The Swiss international has three assists and a goal so far, as well as three yellow cards in 10 games, a disciplinary record similar to his Arsenal days.
Despite Sunderland’s form, history offers little encouragement for the hosts. They are winless in their last 15 Premier League meetings with Arsenal, losing 10 of those. All three of their top-flight victories against the Gunners have come by a single 1-0 scoreline at home, and they have not scored more than once against Arsenal in 16 Premier League encounters at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland have also failed to beat a team starting the day in the top four since 2014, when they defeated Chelsea, and their last victory over a league leader was against Manchester City in 2012.
For Arsenal, the incentive is clear. A sixth straight league victory would match their longest winning streak under Arteta since early 2024, while maintaining another clean sheet would make it their best defensive run in the top flight since George Graham’s side in 1987.
With momentum on their side and the chance to go into the international break on a high, Arsenal’s challenge will be to maintain their focus and intensity against a Sunderland side who thrive on turning games into physical battles.
It is unlikely to be straightforward, but the league leaders have made a habit of navigating such tests. If they can do so again here, their grip on first place will tighten further.