EPL: Arsenal target sixth straight win against Sunderland

n n

Arsenal will look to maintain their perfect start to the season when they travel to face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

n

Mikel Arteta’s side have won their opening five matches in all competitions and will be aiming for a sixth consecutive victory when they take on the newly promoted Black Cats.

n

Arsenal have also built a strong record away from home, losing just one of their last 12 Premier League away matches and winning each of their last three.

n

However, Sunderland will provide a stern test, having held Arsenal to a 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light last season.

n

The Black Cats finished seventh in their first season back in the Premier League and secured a Europa League place through their league position.

n

Sunderland have won one, drawn one and lost one of their opening three league matches this season. They also defeated Hull City 1-0 in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday to reach the fourth round.

n

Their home form could provide further encouragement, with Sunderland losing only four of their 19 home matches in the Premier League last season.

n

Arteta acknowledged the difficulty of the fixture, recalling the points Arsenal dropped in the closing stages of last season’s meeting.

n

He said, “We experienced last season how tough it’s going to be. It’s an unbelievable atmosphere, and it’s great to play in these kinds of games.

n

“We know how ready they’re going to be. We know the importance of it and we’ll be ready to be on that pitch. We’ll compete like we always do, we’ll try to be better than the opponent and win the game.

n

“Last year, we dropped points there, especially in the last minutes. We experienced and learned a lot from that game for the previous one.

n

“Tomorrow, again, we’ll discuss many things that we need to be aware of and where we want to take the game, what their qualities are and how we’ll try to nullify them.”

n

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris said his team would need to maintain their identity and make the game uncomfortable for the visitors.

n

“To be competitive in this kind of game, we have to be ourselves. Our underdog mentality, togetherness and connection with the fans is crucial. We have to have clarity in our game model, because they have so much flexibility.

n

“We have to make it as uncomfortable and as difficult as possible. The supporters are a powerful driver, but it starts from us. When we are proactive, they are behind us and they feed the energy for the press and the second ball,” Le Bris said.

n

Arsenal have dominated the historical Premier League meetings between the sides, with Sunderland winning only once in their last 29 encounters, while Arsenal have won 18 and drawn 10.

n

The Gunners are also unbeaten in their last 23 Premier League evening kick-offs, while they have gone 1-0 up in eight of their last nine away league matches.

n

Arteta will, however, have to assess his squad ahead of the fixture. Jurrien Timber has returned to training after recovering from a groin injury, while Cristhian Mosquera is also nearing a return.

n

William Saliba remains sidelined with a long-term back problem, the release noted.

n

Sunderland will be without Romaine Mundle and Habib Diarra. Mundle is recovering from a knee injury, while Diarra has a hamstring problem.

n

Arsenal have not lost on any of their last 14 Premier League visits to the Stadium of Light, with their only defeat in that run coming in November 2009.

n

Their most recent visit ended 2-2 last season, “when Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard scored for Arsenal after Dan Ballard had opened the scoring, before Brian Brobbey’s late goal earned Sunderland a point.”

n n