Sunderland vs Arsenal: Premier League Preview
Arsenal meet Sunderland in the Premier League at the Stadium of Light on 12 September 2026 at 20:00 BST (21:00 Madrid). The match has not started. (…)
Sunderland, founded in 1879, is one of England’s most established football clubs, rooted in the industrial identity of North East England. Known as the Black Cats, the club plays in red and white and stages home matches at the Stadium of Light beside the River Wear. Its story combines historic prominence, intense regional rivalry and a strong connection with local supporters. The page brings together the club’s identity, place, heritage and present football context.
Xtra rating
1981
Conservative: 1462
Rank club
44
Updated: 12 September 2026
Sunderland Upcoming matches by league
Premier League
-
- Regular Season - 5
Manchester City
Sunderland
Etihad Stadium -
- Regular Season - 6
SunderlandNo H2HBrighton
Stadium of Light -
- Regular Season - 7
BournemouthNo H2HSunderland
-
- Regular Season - 8
SunderlandNo H2HLeeds
Stadium of Light
UEFA Europa League
-
- League Stage - 1
Sunderland
AZ Alkmaar
-
- Group Stage
Torreense
Sunderland
-
- Group Stage
Lech Poznan
Sunderland
-
- Group Stage
Sunderland
Dinamo Zagreb
Sunderland Last matches by league
Premier League
League Cup
Friendlies Clubs
Premier League - Summer Series
FA Cup
Championship
Sunderland Team Roster
Sunderland’s recorded squad contains 35 players: 10 attackers, 11 defenders, three goalkeepers and 11 midfielders. The attacking group includes B. Brobbey, C. Talbi, S. Adingra and W. Isidor, while D. Ballard, O. Alderete, Reinildo and T. Meunier add experience and international breadth in defence. M. Ellborg, R. Roefs and S. Moore form the goalkeeper group. Midfield options include E. Le Fée, G. Xhaka, H. Diarra, C. Rigg and N. Sadiki. The roster combines established names with developing players, giving it a broad age and pathway profile.
position Goalkeeper
position Defender
4
Kevin Danso
DEF
Austria
5
Daniel George Ballard
DEF
England
6
B. Kindon
DEF
6
Dayann Methalie
DEF
France
15
Omar Federico Alderete Fernández
DEF
Paraguay
17
Reinildo Isnard Mandava
DEF
Mozambique
20
Nordi Mukiele Mulere
DEF
France
32
Trai Hume
DEF
Northern Ireland
34
Ajibola Joshua Odunayo Afolarin Alese
DEF
England
48
Jenson Oliver Jones
DEF
England
77
Tess Laplacette
DEF
France
position Midfielder
3
A. Lightfoot
MID
7
C. Dinsdale
MID
8
Alan James Browne
MID
Republic of Ireland
10
Nilson David Angulo Ramírez
MID
Ecuador
11
Christopher Rigg
MID
England
12
Thomas André A. Meunier
MID
Belgium
13
Luke Terry O'Nien
MID
England
19
Mouhamadou Habib Diarra
MID
Senegal
27
Noah Junior Sadiki
MID
Belgium
28
Enzo Jérémy Le Fée
MID
France
29
Jules Ahoka
MID
34
Granit Xhaka
MID
Switzerland
37
Djiamgone Jocelin Ta Bi
MID
Côte d'Ivoire
40
Jack Whittaker
MID
England
57
T. Tuterov
MID
position Attacker
7
Chemsdine Talbi
FWD
Belgium
9
Brian Ebenezer Adjei Brobbey
FWD
Netherlands
9
Trey Samuel-Ogunsuyi
FWD
England
14
Romaine Lee Mundle
FWD
England
15
F. Scott
FWD
18
Wilson Isidor
FWD
France
39
Malick Martin Fofana
FWD
Belgium
46
F. Geragusian
FWD
50
J. Angulo
FWD
Last Sunderland Coachs
Régis Le Bris has been Sunderland’s recorded head coach since 1 July 2024 and remains the current coach. Born on 6 December 1975, the French coach is the latest appointment in the club’s recorded timeline. Mike Dodds appears in two 2023–24 entries, including a spell from February to June 2024, while Michael Beale’s tenure ran from December 2023 to February 2024. Tony Mowbray preceded them from August 2022 to December 2023. The sequence places Le Bris within a recent period of coaching change.
Régis Le Bris
France
Coach since
1 July 2024
Coach until
History
| Coach | Coach country | Coach since | Coach until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Régis Le Bris | France | 1 July 2024 | |
| Mike Dodds | England | 1 February 2024 | 1 June 2024 |
| Michael Beale | England | 1 December 2023 | 1 February 2024 |
| Mike Dodds | England | 1 December 2023 | 1 December 2023 |
| Anthony Mark Mowbray | England | 1 August 2022 | 1 December 2023 |
| Alexander Francis Neil | Scotland | 1 February 2022 | 1 August 2022 |
| Lee David Johnson | England | 1 December 2020 | 1 January 2022 |
| Andrew Taylor | England | 1 November 2020 | 1 June 2021 |
| Philip John Parkinson | England | 1 October 2019 | 1 November 2020 |
| James Fowler | Scotland | 1 October 2019 | 1 October 2019 |
| Jack Ross | Scotland | 1 May 2018 | 1 October 2019 |
| Robert Keith Stockdale | England | 1 April 2018 | 1 May 2018 |
| Christopher Coleman | Wales | 1 November 2017 | 1 April 2018 |
| Robert Keith Stockdale | England | 1 November 2017 | 1 November 2017 |
| Simon Nicholas Grayson | England | 1 June 2017 | 1 November 2017 |
| David William Moyes | Scotland | 1 July 2016 | 1 May 2017 |
| Samuel Allardyce | England | 1 October 2015 | 1 July 2016 |
| Dirk Nicolaas Advocaat | Netherlands | 1 March 2015 | 1 October 2015 |
| Gustavo Augusto Poyet Domínguez | Uruguay | 1 October 2013 | 1 March 2015 |
| Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill | Northern Ireland | 1 December 2011 | 1 March 2013 |
| Steve Bruce | England | 1 July 2009 | 1 November 2011 |
| Mick McCarthy | England | 1 March 2003 | 1 March 2006 |
Sunderland Transfers
Recorded arrivals through 19 July 2026 include three moves from Sunderland U21 into Sunderland’s squad: A. Lightfoot, C. Dinsdale and B. Kindon. T. Meunier joined from Lille as a free agent on 14 July. The remaining listed additions are loan returns, including D. Neil from Ipswich, A. Patterson from Millwall, T. Pembélé from Le Havre, J. Seelt from VfL Wolfsburg, S. Adingra from Monaco and A. Browne from Middlesbrough. Other returns came from clubs including Exeter City, Lens, York and Shrewsbury. The listing is a selected record, not a complete arrivals total.
Latest player transfers from
| Player | Team from | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
Independiente del Valle
|
Transfer | 31 August 2026 | |
| M. Fofana |
Lyon
|
Transfer | 31 August 2026 |
| K. Danso |
Tottenham
|
Loan | 31 August 2026 |
Antwerp
|
Transfer | 23 August 2026 | |
| D. Methalie |
Toulouse
|
Transfer | 20 August 2026 |
| B. Kindon |
Sunderland U21
|
- | 19 July 2026 |
| C. Dinsdale |
Sunderland U21
|
- | 19 July 2026 |
| A. Lightfoot |
Sunderland U21
|
- | 19 July 2026 |
| T. Meunier |
Lille
|
Free agent | 14 July 2026 |
| S. Adingra |
Monaco
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| A. Masuaku |
Lens
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| T. Tuterov |
Exeter City
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| N. Huggins |
Wycombe
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| A. Alese |
Portsmouth
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| N. Rusyn |
Arka Gdynia
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
The listed departures through 11 August 2026 span several movement types. D. Cirkin and A. Masuaku left as free agents, joining QPR and Konyaspor respectively. Recorded transfers took A. Patterson to Wrexham, L. Hjelde to KV Mechelen, A. Abdullahi to Eyüpspor, Eliezer Mayenda to Rennes, Harrison Jones to Peterborough, Z. Johnson to York, P. Roberts to Birmingham and A. Aouchiche to FC Schalke 04. Loans sent M. Young to Huddersfield, M. Aleksić to FK Partizan, L. Hjelde to Sheffield Utd and S. Adingra to Monaco. L. Geertruida is listed as returning to RB Leipzig from loan. This is a selected record, not a complete departures total.
Latest player transfers to
| Player | Team to | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Adingra |
Ajax
|
Loan | 1 September 2026 |
| Luís Semedo |
Clermont Foot
|
Transfer | 31 August 2026 |
| J. Seelt |
Swansea
|
Loan | 26 August 2026 |
| D. Cirkin |
QPR
|
Free agent | 11 August 2026 |
| A. Patterson |
Wrexham
|
Transfer | 10 August 2026 |
| L. Hjelde |
KV Mechelen
|
Transfer | 10 August 2026 |
| A. Masuaku |
Konyaspor
|
Free agent | 9 August 2026 |
| A. Patterson |
Wrexham
|
Transfer | 9 August 2026 |
| L. Hjelde |
KV Mechelen
|
Transfer | 9 August 2026 |
| A. Masuaku |
Konyaspor
|
Free agent | 8 August 2026 |
| J. Waters |
Hebburn Town
|
Free agent | 5 August 2026 |
| A. Abdullahi |
Eyüpspor
|
Transfer | 3 August 2026 |
| A. Abdullahi |
Eyüpspor
|
Transfer | 2 August 2026 |
| E. Moore |
Kidderminster Harriers
|
Free agent | 16 July 2026 |
| E. Moore |
Kidderminster Harriers
|
Free agent | 15 July 2026 |
Transfers Synthesis
Taken together, the recorded movement lists show a mixed Sunderland turnover pattern rather than a single type of recruitment. Arrivals are led by returns from loan, with three players moving up from Sunderland U21 and T. Meunier recorded as a free-agent arrival from Lille. The departure list combines free-agent exits, permanent transfers, loans and the return of L. Geertruida to RB Leipzig after a loan. Several names appear in more than one movement entry because loan spells and subsequent returns are recorded separately, including L. Hjelde, S. Adingra and A. Patterson. The available lists are grouped and limited rather than exhaustive, so they describe documented activity without establishing a full window total, net balance or overall squad change. As of the stated date, the clearest distinction is between internal progression and loan-cycle movement on arrival, and a broader mix of exits.
Leagues Sunderland has participated in
Sunderland has recent recorded participation through 2025 in the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Friendlies Clubs. These entries cover both league and cup football, with the domestic knockout record represented by the FA Cup and League Cup. Championship participation is recorded through 2024 and is therefore historical in this context. Earlier records also include League One and the EFL Trophy through 2021, reflecting a previous period in the club’s competition pathway. The competition history spans top-flight and lower EFL levels, while the latest recorded entries are concentrated in the Premier League and established domestic cups.
More about Sunderland
Sunderland Association Football Club, commonly known as Sunderland, was founded in 1879 in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, in North East England. The club’s traditional identity is built around red-and-white vertical stripes, black shorts and the Black Cats nickname. That visual and cultural identity connects a historic football institution with the industrial character of the city. Sunderland plays at the Stadium of Light on the banks of the River Wear. The ground stands on the site of Monkwearmouth Colliery, linking the modern match-day setting with the coal-mining heritage that shaped the area. The venue is a central part of the club’s public identity and provides the setting for an enduring regional following. Historically, Sunderland was a major force in English football during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The period produced the celebrated description “The Team of All Talents”, while the club’s long-running rivalry with Newcastle United gives the Tyne-Wear Derby a distinctive place in North East football culture. The rivalry is part of a wider regional football ecosystem in which community, geography and sporting history remain closely connected. The club operates within a professional corporate structure that has evolved from local industrialist ownership towards international investment groups. Its modern football model uses a head-coach structure supported by a sporting director, with recruitment blending academy development and external talent. The Academy of Light is associated with a Category One pathway and the integration of North East prospects alongside young international players and experienced domestic professionals. Sunderland’s recorded competition history includes the Premier League, Championship, League One, FA Cup, League Cup, EFL Trophy and club friendlies. Together, those entries reflect a club with deep historical roots, a strong local culture and an established place in the English professional game. Its identity remains anchored by the city, the Stadium of Light, red and white stripes and the Black Cats tradition.
Last matches statistics for Sunderland
| match | shots | Poss. | Pass % | Fouls | Cards | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Liverpool
4 - 2
Sunderland
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Sunderland
0 - 1
Leeds
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Wrexham
0 - 1
Sunderland
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Lens
0 - 2
Sunderland
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Sunderland
2 - 1
Rennes
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Ipswich
2 - 1
Sunderland
|
4 / 11 |
|
88 | 14 | 3 | 1 |
|
Sunderland
1 - 0
Fulham
|
4 / 12 |
|
83 | 10 | - | 0 |
|
Brentford
1 - 1
Sunderland
|
5 / 14 |
|
0% | 9 | 2 | 1 |
|
Sunderland
1 - 0
Hull City
|
4 / 14 |
|
0% | 8 | 1 | 1 |
|
Sunderland
0 - 2
Arsenal
|
3 / 12 |
|
0% | 18 | 4 1 | 3 |
Detailed statistics Sunderland
Xtra rating history
Last rating points (most recent matches).
shots Sunderland
Warnings Sunderland
Passes Sunderland
Goalkeeper saves Sunderland
Latest start lineups Sunderland (XI)
Sunderland vs Arsenal
Premier League 2026 - 1557405
Sunderland vs Hull City
League Cup 2026 - 1635569
Brentford vs Sunderland
Premier League 2026 - 1557388
Sunderland vs Fulham
Premier League 2026 - 1557385
Ipswich vs Sunderland
Premier League 2026 - 1557370
Sunderland vs Chelsea
Premier League 2025 - 1379346
2025-2026
1st shirt
2025-2026
2nd shirt
2025-2026
4th shirt
2024-2025
1st shirt
2024-2025
2nd shirt
2024-2025
3rd shirt
2024-2025
4th shirt
2023-2024
1st shirt
2023-2024
2nd shirt
2023-2024
3rd shirt
2021-2022
1st shirt
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