Quiet-ish start as both teams check one another out. Arsenal are bossing the early possession but Myles Lewis-Skelly gets it all wrong on the edge of the Sunderland box and out it goes for a goal-kick.

What an atmosphere!

A first misplaced pass by Arsenal and 45,000 home fans let out a huge roar.

Image source, Getty Images

Here we go then, Saturday night Premier League action.

Who's excited?

The defending champions get the game under way.

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal

Nineteen-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly is starting his 50th game for Arsenal in all competitions, becoming the fifth teenager to make 50+ starts for the Gunners in the Premier League era after Cesc Fàbregas (124), Bukayo Saka (74), Nicolas Anelka (64) and Jack Wilshere (51).

Here come to the teams.

Arsenal are going to be playing in their light yellow third shirt with blue shorts.

Traditional red and white stripes for the home side.

Image source, Getty Images

This was a cracking game last season, which finished 2-2, and is arguably Arsenal's toughest test so far in this campaign.

I really like Sunderland and their European campaign has not started yet so those extra games won't affect them here.

I feel like being brave and giving them a draw because they are well capable of taking a point off Arsenal, but the Gunners just have the ability to shut up shop when they need to, and they can get physical again if they need to.

Thinking about it, I can't really go against an Arsenal victory, because of the players they were able to bring on in last weekend's comeback win against Chelsea.

They have got A-list replacements everywhere they look and, if they need a goal against Sunderland, I can see them bringing someone on to get them one.

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

Fasten your seatbelts, folks.

It's gone dark inside the Stadium of Light ahead of a pre-match light show.

The players are in the tunnel and this place is rocking.

Everton

Everton defender Vitaliy Mykolenko, speaking to Sky Sports: "This group is so good. Few weeks ago, I said this is probably the best group I have seen at Everton since I came into the club.

"Happy to play with them and also happy to see Jarrad [Branthwaite] back and enjoying playing with him. He is supporting me always. He is always at the back. I know he will tackle if I lose the ball or my winger."

On Everton's season objective: "Hopefully, we will get to Europe this season. With this small group, I know it is hard. But our target is European football."

Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg on the Black Cats' underdog mentality:

"It's been mentioned that we're one of the favourites to go down again and of course we hear that in the changing room and it fuels us for the coming weeks."

"It's a good thing for us because we're always known as the underdogs, even in the Championship we were the underdogs, we're just going to keep going with that fighting spirit."

"We want to take it game-by-game but we've also got to think that there's a lot of games coming up and our squad depth is good now - we've got a lot of players fighting for their place."

"Most of the lads decided to stay here because they know what we want to do by the end of the season. We want to do well in the league and we want to do well in Europe, and it's a big challenge for everyone. We're all really excited for it."

Image source, Getty Images

If this game is anything like the corresponding fixture last season then we're in for a cracker.

Brian Brobbey scored a 94th-minute equaliser to frustrate the Gunners in a game which finished 2-2.

Only eight teams stopped Arsenal from winning on the road in the Premier League in 2025-26 - Sunderland were one of them.

Alex Brotherton
BBC Sport journalist at Stadium of Light

Sunderland fans have a reputation for being loud at the Stadium of Light, and Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris has used his programme notes to call on fans to bring the noise for the visit of the Premier League champions.

"A key challenge for us this season is to make the Stadium of Light a fortress once again," Le Bris said.

"We have seen time after time how powerful we can be when the team and supporters are fully aligned and pulling in the same direction.

"Your energy, belief and support can make a real difference. We will need that connection today from the first whistle to the last."

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris talking to BBC Radio Newcastle about Arsenal:

"This season, they are flying. They are one of the best teams in Europe. Five wins in a row so the run is really impressive. We learned that to be competitive in this kind of game you have to be yourself. The more you have this underdog mentality, togetherness, connection with the fans, intensity until the end - it is very important. The flexibility and clarity of the game model [is important] because they are so adaptive. We have to adapt in real time."

"It is not possible to be perfect but we have to stay true to our ideas. When you face a really strong opponent you can be a bit shy. The best learning from last season was that if we are ourselves - no regret. They will find solutions but we are getting better with flexibility and how we adapt when something unexpected happens. It will be challenging but I am very excited to experience this situation again."

Sunderland

Image source, Getty Images

In September 2021 Sunderland hosted Accrington Stanley in League One. Five years on not only are the Black Cats getting ready to play at home to Arsenal, they're also about return to European football for the first time since 1973.

These are exciting times for Regis Le Bris' side, who host Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Wednesday (20:00 BST).

It will be their first taste of competitive European action for 53 years when Sunderland played at their old Roker Park home.

Talking of European ambition, Jarrad....

Everton

Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, speaking to Sky Sports: "You look at the game from the start, they put us under pressure and we had to dig deep to stay in the game. Then we grew into the game towards the end of the first half and showed that mentality again in the second half.

"We had chances to win the game as well. The backs to the wall mentality will help us go a long way.

"If we can keep clean sheets, you can go a long way in the league. But it's not just us the defenders. It's the whole team working hard. It's a team effort."

On Everton's European ambition: "Last season, I wasn't part of the group a lot and I have seen how close we got to Europe. It's going to be our aim again this season but the Premier League is a lot more tougher this season. Teams have bought plenty of players for a lot of money."

Alex Brotherton
BBC Sport journalist at Stadium of Light

If you ever happen to find yourself up in Sunderland, make sure to pop into the Fans Museum around the corner from the Stadium of Light.

It's a bar packed full of Sunderland and general football memorabilia, from famous kits to cup final programmes.

There's even a collection of football pin badges representing teams from around the world.

And you can take it all in with a beer too. What's not to like?

Arsenal

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal's start to the season has been supercharged by the form of their resurgent skipper Martin Odegaard.

The midfielder scored one goal last season. This campaign, he has four in five games, including the winner against Napoli in midweek, as his sweet strike from the edge of the box capped off an excellent 29-pass move.

There has been a clear tactical shift in Odegaard's playing style this season, meaning he is getting much more of the ball in increasingly dangerous areas.

Odegaard's movements off the ball also illustrate more of a willingness to get into goalscoring positions.

In the Premier League this season, he has already made seven cross-option runs – a run to get into the penalty area to make yourself available for a cross while your team-mate has the ball in a wide area – having made just 10 across the whole of the previous term.