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Sunderland vs Arsenal Match Preview

Arsenal opened up their season at the Emirates in front of approximately 60,000 fans against Sunderland. The Black Cats took a very defensive approach to the match, looking to hit the Gunners on the counter-attack, which was expected.

That was not only the first match of the campaign for both sides, but it was also the first match in the Premier League for players like Lukas Podolski, Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud who came on as a sub.

On Saturday, Sunderland will not have to worry about trying to figure out the new Arsenal players since they have featured more often than not since that match. The only worry they will have when it comes to unfamiliar faces will be Nacho Monreal. The Spanish left-back made his first appearance for Arsenal last week against Stoke City, leaving Arsenal fans content with his first performance in an Arsenal uniform.

Martin O'Neill's side has struggled to find consistency in their form and results all season. They are currently 12th in the Premier League and have only seven victories in 25 matches.

Regardless of their record at home against Arsenal in the previous ten matches, Sunderland is normally a tough outfit to play against, especially at the Stadium of Light. The hosts have only managed two victories over the Gunners at home, with last season's 2-0 victory in the FA Cup being the most recent. Arsenal has won five of the ten meetings, with the remaining three ending in a draw. 

Knowing that the match will not be easy, Thomas Vermaelen has made it clear that Arsenal will need to be prepared for a hard fought battle if they want the full three points.

"Sunderland away is always a tough game," said the Arsenal captain.

"I think we did well in the first game of the season at home against Sunderland. We could not score but we were the better team and had the better chances."

The Belgian international is still struggling with an ankle injury that could see him miss this match. Another question mark for Arsene Wenger could be Laurent Koscielny who was injured on international duty with France. If he is unable to play, Wenger may be forced to use Ignasi Miquel or even Sebastian Squillaci against Sunderland.

Previous Matches

08-18-12 Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland

02-18-12 Sunderland 2-0 Arsenal (FA Cup)

02-11-12 Sunderland 1-2 Arsenal

10-16-11 Arsenal 2-1 Sunderland

03-05-11 Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland

09-18-10 Sunderland 1-1 Arsenal

Prediction

Knowing that this will not be an easy match makes Arsenal fans start to worry well before kick off, especially since this match is away. Martin O'Neill's sides are generally organized and Saturday the Black Cats could cause Arsenal some problems.

One big confidence booster for Arsenal will be the fact that Sunderland has struggled to find the net this season with the exception of Steven Fletcher. The former Wolves forward has 10 goals in the current campaign, with Adam Johnson being next on the list with just four. 

Although they struggle to score consistently, a match against an Arsenal defense that at times looks like they have never played a football match could do the trick.

With a victory over the Gunners, Sunderland can see themselves jump up into 10th place, depending on how the other matches play out. A defeat for the Black Cats could potentially see them fall into the 15th spot, just five points clear of the relegation zone.

The Gunners could benefit from this weekend's fixtures knowing that a win against Sunderland could put them back into the top five. Everton, who is fifth with one more point that Arsenal, will travel to Old Trafford to take on league leader's Manchester United, a fixture far from a guaranteed point, let alone three.

Playing at home, Sunderland will more than likely play a more open match, nothing compared to what they did at the Emirates earlier in the season. Their approach could also depend on how the match starts for them as well.

If Arsenal comes out and plays like they have been playing in the first 45 minutes, Sunderland could find themselves ahead by the time half-time comes around. Keeping that lead up until the 90th minute could be difficult given the amount of offensive firepower Arsenal has.

Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott will once again be the spark for Arsene Wenger's side after they both put in solid performances mid-week against Brazil. Walcott had some theo-esque runs against the Brazilian defenders while Wilshere picked apart the Brazilian's midfield with ease.

Wilshere will need to continue to drag this Arsenal team forward on Saturday, and Walcott will be extremely important as they will need him to continuously make runs behind the Sunderland defense. They are not the fastest group of defenders, so keeping them on their toes should open up space for Olivier Giroud who has been in excellent form as of late.

With Sunderland playing a more open style on Saturday should offer Arsenal some descent chances to score. Taking those chances is a different story, but they should be able to see off the Black Cats in a match that could see them struggle to break down O'Neill's back line early on.

Sunderland 1-2 Arsenal 

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