Arsenal vs Sunderland Prediction 7 February 2026
🔊 The leaders of the English Premier League have pulled away from the chasing pack, and in the 25th round, they have a chance to extend their lead. Sunderland have not defeated Arsenal at their ground in the Premier League since 1983. Can the Black Cats break this 43-year streak? Let's analyze Saturday's match and offer a prediction for this English Championship clash.
Head-to-Head
📊 Over the past ten seasons in the Premier League, Arsenal and Sunderland have faced off just five times. This is due to the "Black Cats" dropping out of the top flight of English football in the mid-2010s and only returning to the Premier League before the current season. Out of these five encounters, Arsenal have claimed victory three times, while the teams have drawn twice. Sunderland have not won an away league match against Arsenal since 1983.
The clash at the Stadium of Light during the first round of the 2025/26 season ended in a 2-2 draw. Arsenal let slip a victory in the fourth minute of added time with a goal from Brian Brobbey. Despite this, Arsenal were dominant in that match, leading in shots (17:6), shots on target (7:2), and possession (65% to 35%).
Head-to-head statistics Arsenal - Sunderland
Arsenal Team Overview
The last round played a pivotal role in shaping the league standings. Arsenal, the league leaders, capitalized on slip-ups by their closest rivals-Manchester City and Aston Villa-by thrashing Leeds 4-0 on the road, extending their lead to six points. Even Pep Guardiola, the manager of the Citizens, has lauded Arsenal, calling them "the best team in Europe and possibly the world."
The victory in Leeds finally snapped a three-match winless streak in the Premier League for the Gunners, who had previously lost to Manchester United (3-2) and drawn against Nottingham Forest (0-0) and Liverpool (0-0). Reaching the EFL Cup final with a second consecutive win over Chelsea (1-0) should boost Mikel Arteta's squad's morale.
Adding to their confidence is their remarkable record against Premier League newcomers. Arsenal boasts one of the longest home unbeaten runs against teams newly promoted to England's top division. In London, the Gunners have gone 43 matches without a loss against these sides, recording 38 wins and 5 draws.
Match Results: Arsenal
Sunderland Team Overview
Unlike their rivals, Sunderland have played just two matches in the past two weeks, while Arsenal have been involved in four. After suffering a 1-3 defeat in London against West Ham, Régis Le Bris' side bounced back with a commanding 3-0 victory over Burnley, matching their biggest win of the season. This success at the Stadium of Light has propelled Sunderland back into the top eight.
However, the Black Cats have struggled on the road, failing to secure a win in their last seven away matches. Their recent trips to London, facing West Ham, Brentford, Tottenham, and Fulham, have yielded just one point out of a possible 12. In terms of away performance, Sunderland rank 17th in the league, with only teams battling relegation (Wolverhampton, Burnley, and Leeds) performing worse.
Sunderland's goal-scoring woes are particularly evident in away fixtures. Le Bris' team has managed just six goals in 12 away games-only Wolves have scored fewer with five. The Black Cats seem to boycott the first halves on the road, netting just two goals compared to four in the second halves.
Match Results: Sunderland
Latest news
Arsenal
🎙 The head coach of the Londoners, Mikel Arteta, even before knowing that Guardiola had dubbed his former partner's team as "the best in Europe," was outraged that some continue to criticize Arsenal.
"I'm hearing quite the opposite. Across Europe, they say we're the most entertaining team on the continent - we score a lot and keep clean sheets. Perhaps I have different sources. Criticism? Send me names, addresses, and emails - maybe we can have a chat," Arteta told Goal.❌ Fans at the Emirates won't be seeing Mikel Merino for some time: the Spaniard is sidelined with a foot injury and now faces a rare surgery. Bukayo Saka's participation in the match is doubtful, as the Englishman has missed the last three games.
↔️ It's clear that David Raya will return to the goal for the Premier League match. Likely starting from the first minute is Kai Havertz, who scored the winning goal against Chelsea - it took him just 20 minutes against the Londoners, and he'll get more time against Sunderland.
Sunderland
🎙 Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris highlighted the team's readiness to learn from their mistakes. Notably, since their return to the Premier League, the Black Cats have not lost two consecutive matches in regular time. However, they've only managed to win back-to-back games once.
"It was crucial to respond after the disappointing game against West Ham. Our reaction was energetic. We played boldly, pressed high, and created chances. There are no easy wins in the Premier League - this time was no exception," Le Bris told BBC Sport.❌ Granit Xhaka is likely to miss the match in London against his former team due to an ankle injury. Bertrand Traoré is sidelined following the Africa Cup of Nations, and Sunderland's new signing Joselino Ta Bi is also recovering. There are hopes for a swift recovery for key defender Omar Alderete.
↔️ For the first time since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, Habib Diarra and Chemsdine Talbi were given a starting opportunity. They made the most of it, with both the Senegalese and Moroccan players scoring a goal each. They are likely to start again in London.
🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards
English referee Samuel Barrott has shown four or fewer yellow cards in eight consecutive Premier League matches. His average for the season stands at 3.7 cautions per game. Despite these relatively low numbers, Barrott has issued at least one caution to each team in 4 of his last 5 matches. Considering Arsenal have received at least two yellow cards in each of their last four home games, a reasonable pick is on Arsenal's individual total of yellow cards over 1 with odds of 1.93*.
⚽️ Goal Prediction
Arsenal lead the Premier League in second-half performances. The Gunners have won the second half 13 times, drawn 9, and lost only twice. In 6 of their last 8 matches across all competitions, the Londoners have scored at least once in the second half. If Sunderland need to chase the game, an insightful pick is Arsenal's individual total in the second half over 1 with odds of 1.59*.
🚩 Corner Prediction
In the Premier League, only Newcastle (6.7 per match) average more corners than Arsenal (6.2 per match). The Gunners consistently head to the corner flag in other competitions as well, achieving this in 7 of their last 8 matches across the Premier League, Champions League, League Cup, and FA Cup. Robin Rufs and the visitors' defense will have their work cut out, making Arsenal's individual total of corners over 6.5 with odds of 1.62* a strong choice.
🚀 Player Prediction
Sunderland face a tough task-they need to capitalize on every opportunity. In January's six matches, striker Bryan Brobbey scored three goals for the Black Cats. Betting on him to score is risky, but backing his attacking actions is a solid option. In 5 of his last 6 Premier League games, the Dutch forward has managed at least one shot on target. With his determination, choosing Bryan Brobbey's total shots on target over 0.5 with odds of 2.5* is a smart pick.
😱 Wild Bet
Arsenal certainly plan not to concede against Sunderland, but things can get unpredictable. Their clean sheet streak at home ended early in the season, and over the past three months, the Gunners have only kept two clean sheets at home in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Sunderland, though they rank 15th in scoring in the Premier League, have been clinical-scoring at least once in four matches against top-four teams this season and twice in two of those games. To take advantage of high odds, consider Sunderland's individual total over 1 with odds of 4.9*.
👀 If the Match Goes Off Script
Sunderland scoring more than one goal would indeed be off script. And if they score first, as they did in November, it could complicate matters for the Gunners. Arsenal are best not provoked-when conceding first in their last two matches, they came back to win by scoring at least three goals. Thus, following a theoretical Sunderland goal, a strategic choice is Arsenal's individual total over 3 with odds of 3.1*.
*Odds are approximate and may vary across different bookmakers.
Editorial Prediction
Arsenal are set to kick off the game as favorites and will look to make an impact early, aiming to score in the first half. In five of their seven victories in the capital in 2026, the Gunners have led at both halftime and full time, so we predict an Arsenal win in the first half. It's likely the London club will fully capitalize on this opportunity to avenge their dropped points from the first leg - predicting a decisive 4-1 victory.
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Betting Tips: Arsenal - Sunderland
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