Arsenal travel to face Sunderland on Saturday aiming to maintain their flawless start to the Premier League season. The Gunners sit second in the table with nine points from three games, having won every match so far.
Arsenal are on a five-game winning run across all competitions. Their most recent victory was a 1-0 Champions League win at Napoli last Tuesday, secured by a 75th-minute strike from captain Martin Odegaard. Before that, they beat Chelsea 2-1 at home, with Kai Havertz and Odegaard on target to overturn an early deficit. The team has scored six goals and conceded just one in the league, giving them a goal difference of plus five.
Mikel Arteta is expected to name a strong side, but he will be without two defenders. William Saliba remains out with a back issue and is not expected back until late October. Cristhian Mosquera is also sidelined with a knock, though his return is projected for this weekend. In their last outing against Napoli, Arteta selected a 4-2-3-1 formation with David Raya in goal, a back four of Ben White, Ezri Konsa, Gabriel, and Piero Hincapie. The midfield double pivot featured Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, with Bukayo Saka, Odegaard, and Eberechi Eze supporting striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Sunderland have made a solid start themselves, sitting in the top half after a 1-0 home win over Hull City last weekend. Manager Michael Beale has injury concerns of his own, with midfielder Habib Diarra and forward Romaine Mundle ruled out long-term. Their likely lineup includes goalkeeper Matty Ellborg and attackers Willian Isidor and Mamadou Fofana. The Black Cats have shown resilience at home this season.
After the trip to the north-east, Arsenal's schedule continues with a visit to Brighton on 19 September. Brighton are currently tenth in the standings, making it another challenging away fixture. The Gunners will hope to carry their momentum forward and keep pace at the top of the table. Check the latest standings to see how the league shapes up around them.
