Preview: Arsenal vs Sunderland - prediction, team news, lineups

Before donning pure red Liverpool scarfs, Arsenal fans will sport their traditional red and white to cheer on their team against Sunderland in Saturday's Premier League showdown.

The Gunners return to a bouncing Emirates buoyed by thoughts of their imminent EFL Cup final, while the Black Cats are still dreaming the European dream.

Match preview

Winless in three Premier League games, failing to score in two of them and only edging out Kairat 3-2 in their top-vs-bottom Champions League battle, some believed that the stage was set for Arsenal to slip-up once again in their showdown with a revitalised Leeds United side last weekend.

However, Mikel Arteta's men defied the doubters with a refreshingly merciless performance, demolishing the Whites 4-0 at Elland Road despite losing emergency striker Mikel Merino and Hale End star Bukayo Saka to injury ahead of kickoff.

Gameweek 24 certainly belonged to the Gunners, who then witnessed Aston Villa suffer a surprise home loss to Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur produce a phenomenal fightback to hold Manchester City, leaving them six points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

An unprecedented quadruple is also still alive for Arsenal, who returned to their underwhelming ways - in an entertainment sense - against Chelsea in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final, but a last-gasp Kai Havertz tap-in sufficed for a 1-0 win and a ticket to Wembley.

The Gunners now go in search of a fourth straight win across all competitions, as well as a new Premier League record; they are unbeaten in 43 successive top-flight home games against newly-promoted clubs, the joint-longest streak in the competition since 1992 alongside Chelsea, from 2001 to 2015.

Gunners fans will then switch allegiances on Sunday, when Liverpool can put another dent in Man City's title aspirations, but Sunderland supporters may pledge loyalty to the men in sky blue given that the reigning champions remain within touching distance.

Following a forgettable festive period - in which they went five matches without a win from December 20 to January 7 - the Black Cats have now triumphed in three of their last four games in all competitions, most recently teaching Burnley a footballing lesson.

Habib Diarra, Chemsdine Talbi and an Axel Tuanzebe own goal combined for a comfortable 3-0 win for Regis Le Bris's men, who enter gameweek 25 in a healthy eighth place in the table, just three points shy of Liverpool in sixth and five adrift of the top four.

However, Premier League away days have been the bane of the Black Cats in recent months, as they have failed to win any of their last seven top-flight matches on the road, since stunning Arsenal's London rivals Chelsea 2-1 in October.

A Sunderland success on Saturday would therefore see the Black Cats become the first-ever promoted Premier League team to beat the Gunners and the Blues in the same campaign, and Le Bris's men memorably held Arteta's side to a 2-2 home draw in November, but not since 1983 have the visitors won away to the league leaders.

Arsenal Premier League form:

Arsenal form (all competitions):

Sunderland Premier League form:

Sunderland form (all competitions):

Team News

The treatment room has slowly been filling up once again for Arsenal, who may be without Merino (foot) for the rest of the season, while the hip issue that Saka sustained in the warm-up at Elland Road should not settle down in time for the weekend either.

Martin Odegaard was another high-profile absentee from the cup win over Chelsea, but Arteta is hopeful that his captain will recover from that "niggle" in time for Saturday, while Max Dowman (ankle) should not be sidelined for much longer either.

A few changes will be afoot for the hosts, namely Havertz returning to the XI after his midweek heroics, and the German could even link up with Gabriel Jesus if both Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze are demoted.

From current Arsenal to ex-Arsenal, villain-turned-hero Granit Xhaka will not return to the Emirates turf this weekend, as the Sunderland skipper is nursing an ankle injury and may be out for the rest of the month.

Xhaka is just one of three fitness concerns for the away side, though, a list that also includes Bertrand Traore - who should soon return from a knee problem - and January signing Jocelin Ta Bi (ankle).

However, Le Bris has no need to alter the XI that took down Burnley, meaning starts for Arsenal academy product Dan Ballard and striker Brian Brobbey, both of whom could become the first Sunderland player(s) in 72 years to score home and away against the Gunners in a single league season.

Omar Alderete did limp off in the closing stages against Burnley, but there are no serious concerns about his availability.

Arsenal possible starting lineup:

Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Havertz, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Jesus, Trossard

Sunderland possible starting lineup:

Roefs; Hume, Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo; Le Fee, Diarra, Sadiki, Talbi; Brobbey

We say: Arsenal 2-0 Sunderland

Arsenal did not need to over-exert themselves on the attacking front in midweek, and having torn apart a five-man Leeds wall with ease, Arteta's men should have no real issues dishing out the same treatment to Sunderland.

The Black Cats' feats this term have been commendable, but their problems on the road cannot be overlooked, and they have also given up the third-most shots in the Premier League this season - even if they have conceded just 26 goals.

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