EPL: Arsenal target sixth straight win against Sunderland

Arsenal are set to travel to Sunderland for a crucial Premier League match on Saturday, aiming to extend their perfect start to the season with a sixth consecutive win. Mikel Arteta’s team has triumphed in all five of their opening games in all competitions, and have also recorded six successful away matches this season, winning all three of their last outings.

However, Sunderland, newly promoted to the Premier League, pose a significant challenge. They held Arsenal to a 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light last season, and have managed to win one, draw one, and lose one of their opening three league matches. Their home form has been particularly strong, with only four losses out of 19 home games in the Premier League last season.

Arteta recognized the difficulty of the fixture, highlighting the intimidating atmosphere at the Stadium of Light. He emphasized the importance of learning from last year’s missed points, saying, “We experienced last season how tough it’s going to be. It’s an unbelievable atmosphere, and it’s great to play in these kinds of games.” He added, “We know the importance of it and we’ll be ready to be on that pitch. We’ll compete like we always do, we’ll try to be better than the opponent and win the game.”

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris urged his team to maintain their identity and create an uncomfortable game for Arsenal. He stressed the need for clarity in their game model, given Arsenal's flexibility. Le Bris stressed, “We have to make it as uncomfortable and as difficult as possible. The supporters are a powerful driver, but it starts from us. When we are proactive, they are behind us and they feed the energy for the press and the second ball.”

Historically, Arsenal have dominated the meetings between the two sides, winning 18 and drawing 10 out of their last 29 encounters. Sunderland, however, emerged victorious in only one of those matches. Arsenal have not lost in their last 14 Premier League visits to the Stadium of Light, with their most recent draw coming in November 2009.