Gameweek 4's Saturday night fixture sees Sunderland host Arsenal at the Stadium of Light on 12 September 2026 (20:00 BST). Sunderland drew 1–1 with Brentford in GW3; Arsenal face Chelsea in the GW3 closer before travelling north for a promoted side under the lights.
Sunderland: team news & GW3 form
Regis Le Bris' Sunderland use Xhaka, Brobbey and Adingra as the primary threats. The 1–1 vs Brentford in GW3 keeps Xhaka relevant for DefCon managers; home vs Arsenal under lights is a hostile assignment.
Sunderland Predicted Starting XI & Lineup · 4-2-3-1
Official lineups confirmed 1 hour before kick-off.
Arsenal: team news & GW3 form
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal deploy Saka, Gyökeres and Ødegaard. Rice anchors midfield; away at Sunderland on a Saturday night is a clean-sheet plus attacking returns template for Saka owners.
Key tactical battle
Arsenal's press and wide combinations vs Sunderland's compact 4-2-3-1 — Xhaka's experience vs his former club adds narrative but Arsenal's quality should tell.
Head-to-head record
No recent top-flight meetings; Arsenal's promoted-side record under Arteta is strong in the opening months.
Fantasy & Predictor picks
- Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, FWD): pens and creativity on Saturday night TV.
- Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal, FWD): focal striker away at Sunderland.
- Granit Xhaka (Sunderland, MID): set pieces and DefCon at home.
- William Saliba (Arsenal, DEF): clean-sheet upside if Arsenal control the game.
- Predictor: Arsenal 2–0 Sunderland.
Prediction
Arsenal's class prevails on Saturday night. Prediction: Sunderland 0–2 Arsenal.