Arsenal v Sunderland – predictions, the team, the table, and how to listen

• Arsenal v Sunderland: the current form and the source of goals
• Arsenal v Sunderland: the referee and his approach to the teams

The latest from the Arsenal History Society’s review of 100 years in the top division is

• The first double: from advancement to a Midlands disaster

By Tony Attwood

The Athletic have done their regular prediction of the game  and it reads, “I keep saying it, but Arsenal are the best team in the country. I really can’t see much reason to doubt they will be champions. 

Indeed as I wrote last week, I do feel they could do with playing with a little more freedom at times, optimising their talent rather than allowing so many games to become wars of attrition.  “But whether it’s handbrake on or handbrake off, they look good enough to win this title with plenty to spare. Sunderland will test them, but Arsenal should be too strong.”  Their score prediction is 2-0. 

Since Arsenal averages 2.2 points a game then a win does indeed seem likely.  And since Arsenal score on average 1.92 goals a game, two goals for Arsenal again seems average.   But I am not sure Sunderland are an average team to beat.  They do only conceded one goal a game on average, but we could have a look at their away games to the leading clubs… 

This can sometimes be an encouraging approach when making a prediction, but here it seems that Sunderland do have a way of tightening the defence, and looking to snatch a draw or at least keep the score down.  That indeed is exactly how I expect them to play it, and so get the crowd (who have come expecting half a dozen goals) agitated.

In terms of away games, in October, Sunderland were beaten 2-0 by Manchester United.  They then beat Chelsea away 1-2 in October, and drew 1-1 away to Liverpool in December.   So we should not take their away form too much for granted, just because they are not that high up the league table. But reassuringly Sunderland did lose 3-0 away to Manchester City in December whcih seems more in line with current league positions, and suggests that a prediction of Arsenal 2 Sunderland 0 might not be too far off.

So to the team…. although first a big thank you to Sports Mole for reminding me, and maybe others who like me were not full of attenion, that Arsenal are approaching a “new Premier League record; they are unbeaten in 43 successive top-flight home games against newly-promoted clubs, the joint-longest streak in the competition since 1992 alongside Chelsea, from 2001 to 2015.”   I bet you didn’t know that.  (Unless you read Sports Mole first).

OK so no one will actually remember that in years to come – or at least I don’t think they will – but full marks to Sports Mole for finding it.  And for pointing out that  Granit Xhaka won’t be playing in this one as he has an ankle injury and “may be out for the rest of the month.”

 

Sports Mole concludes Arsenal will go out with a line up of

Raya;

White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori;

Havertz, Zubimendi, Rice;

Madueke, Jesus, Trossard

 

The Metro offer a different thought

Raya;

Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori;

Rice, Zubimendi, Eze

Madueke, Gyokeres, Trossard

The Standard doesn’t seem to want to offer us a team anymore, so let’s go somewhere new and look at Athlon Sports … which I did only to find they offer us exactly the same as the Metro.

Sporting News having do go out on a limb with

Raya

Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie

Zubimendi, Rice, Havertz

Madueke, Jesus, Trossard

 

So I think we can fairly say it will be something like that.   And just in case you have forgotten how it looks, here’s the league table.   Just in case….