Sunderland v Arsenal: Premier League – reside | Premier League

47 min: Arsenal proceed to pin Sunderland again. Sunderland maintain their form. Saka ultimately curls a cross in from the best, but it surely's overhit. Objective kick. On the touchline, Mikel Arteta reveals a little bit of frustration earlier than shouting some encouragement. “Nothing towards Reinildo, who's an excellent participant,” begins Justin Kavanagh promisingly, “however is that not a considerably too-close-to-the-bone identify for a footballer? It's like being referred to as Palé, or, as he's from Mozambique, Yosébio.”

46 min: Arsenal are on the entrance foot instantly, they usually win a throw deep on the best. Rice dries the ball and launches the throw. Some head tennis. The ball drops to Eze, who takes a swipe goalwards however the shot is blocked the second it leaves his boot.

Arsenal get the second half began. With a very youthful bench, they've not made any adjustments but. Sunderland are additionally as they had been.

As issues stand, the highest of the Premier League seems like this. An enormous second half arising.

Arsenal concede for the primary time in 812 minutes, and Sunderland lead on the break.

45 min +9: … half-cleared. Sadiki crosses from the best. Le Charge, simply contained in the field on the left, cushions the ball into the trail of Mukiele, who drags a fiercely struck low drive vast left. He had to hit the goal. A giant likelihood for Sunderland to critically shock the league leaders.

45 min +8: From a deep place on the left, Xhaka crosses lengthy, hoping to seek out Isidor on the far stick. Calafiori is pressured to eyebrow out for a nook. Ballard wanders over to take it, however not with any nice urgency. It's ultimately swung in, and …

45 min +6: Eze sashays down the best and reaches the byine, however can't discover anybody along with his cutback. Sunderland may do with listening to the half-time whistle.

45 min +5: Sunderland can't get out of their remaining third. Arsenal desperately urgent for the equaliser. They've responded properly to going behind, which says one thing about their collective mentality, as a result of they're not precisely used to being on this place.

45 min +3: Calafiori curls into the Sunderland field from the left. Saka cushions the ball down for Saliba, who's in house however leans again and skies his shot from 12 yards. An enormous likelihood, and Sunderland are furious, as a result of they suppose Saka had hauled down Reinildo whereas teeing up his mate. All's properly ultimately, however had Saliba scored, that may have sparked fairly the philosophical back-and-forth.

45 min +1: Xhaka clambers onto the again of Eze, and earns himself a reserving. What odds the flamable Sunderland skipper seeing out the match on this heightened environment towards his outdated friends?

45 min: Certain sufficient, the board goes up for 9 extra minutes.

44 min: Roefs and Geertruida move it across the again. For too lengthy, because it seems, and ultimately the Arsenal press forces the keeper into slicing out for a throw. Sunderland higher not be working the clock down, ready for the half-time whistle, as a result of there's going to be a lot of extra time.

42 min: Now Trossard has a nibble at a pink and white shirt, conceding one other free kick. Arsenal getting collectively irritated.

41 min: Calafiori throws lengthy from the left. Mukiele wins a header, then merely refuses to provide method as Calafiori tries to revive the routine. Calafiori, pissed off, clatters into his opponent and the ensuing free kick releases the strain on the hosts.

40 min: Saka crosses from the best. Reinildo blocks. A cheer virtually as loud because the one which met the purpose. Solely virtually, although, let's not get foolish.

38 min: The Stadium of Gentle took off for the moon when that purpose went in. Ballard correctly roofed that shot, and it was met with a soundtrack to match. Arsenal fall behind for the primary time in 9 matches.

Roefs sends the ensuing free kick down the inside-right channel. Arsenal don't cope with it. Traore heads down in the direction of Ballard, who powers into the field and takes one contact, earlier than arrowing an unstoppable riser into the highest proper! There goes that clean-sheet run!

36 min: Zubimendi clips Isidor from behind, within the hope of stopping a fast break. He's booked. However a lot good his cynicism has completed him, as a result of …

35 min: Saka dribbles into the Sunderland field from the best. He's surrounded and has no proper to maintain going, actually, however he manages it, and ultimately pokes a shot by way of the group. There's not any tempo on it, although, and that's straightforward for Roefs.

33 min: It's 11 versus 11 once more. Merino goes over, and Xhaka, with whom he's simply come second finest in a 50-50, leans over him and points some helpful recommendation. Gamers on either side working scorching.

32 min: Raya will get play restarted with each groups momentarily down to 10 males.

31 min: Le Charge is again up on his ft. Timber remains to be down, having taken a whack to his proper eye. He's getting taped and bandaged up.

30 min: Le Charge and Timber collided through the build-up to that half-chance, and on come the physios. This has been extra cease than begin. Anticipate fairly a little bit of time tacked onto the top of the half.

28 min: Sadiki clips a move down the inside-left channel, liberating Isidor into house. Isidor enters the field and whips a low shot throughout Raya and harmlessly vast of the right-hand put up.

27 min: … and now it's Arsenal's flip to get aggravated when penalised for not very a lot. Timber catches Le Charge in a 50-50, the whistle goes, and Mikel Arteta spins round waving his arms round in an agitated trend. An edge creating.

25 min: Reinildo jumps into Timber, contesting an extended ball on the sting of the Arsenal field. The Stadium of Gentle erupts in anger as Arsenal are awarded a free kick.

23 min: Le Charge will get overly intricate close to his personal D, and presents the ball to Eze, who makes an attempt a roller in the direction of the top-left nook however will get all of it flawed. Sunderland are starting to make errors underneath relentless Arsenal strain.

22 min: Ballard scuffs a hopeless move upfield straight on the nearest blue shirt. He's lucky that Merino doesn't take benefit, shovelling straight by way of to Roefs, when there have been runners both aspect.

20 min: Traore activates the jets down the best, and reaches the Arsenal field. Then he loses management of his legs and slips over, choices within the center untapped. A tragic finish to a uncommon Sunderland assault.

19 min: A bit of little bit of sterile possession for Sunderland. A lot wanted, as Arsenal had began to crank up the strain, over 50 % of the play within the final 5 minutes having been in Sunderland's remaining third.

17 min: With Saka getting ready to dribble down the best, Sadiki is pressured to lunge in and concede a nook. The set piece is performed quick, then pulled again for Rice, who buys one other ticket to the raffle from distance. His shot is blocked.

16 min: Rice almost takes full benefit, his free kick dipping and oscillating at velocity in the direction of the underside proper. Roefs stoops and punches clear, albeit in not notably convincing type. However he's completed his job.

15 min: Isidor and Gabriel contest a excessive ball, 30 yards from the Sunderland purpose. Isidor leads with a high-kick and although he doesn't make a lot contact, Gabriel makes certain to benefit from it, and goes down screaming. Xhaka is then doing related, into the referee's face, arguing that it's not a foul. It was comfortable, however Isidor gave the referee a choice to make along with his ungainly problem, and right here we're.

13 min: Eze wedges a move down the center, hoping to launch Merino, however will get all of it flawed. The ball sails by way of to Roefs.

11 min: Merino is again on. Each groups now must rediscover their early verve after an extended stoppage.

10 min: Merino is again up on his ft. However that was an extended verify. Extra checking the state of his jawbone than coping with any concussion, it might appear. Arsenal down to 10 for now.

9 min: Merino is sitting up now, which is best information to report. For some time, he was mendacity inventory nonetheless. The physician nonetheless doing his checks.

7 min: Merino doesn't look in too good a form. The physio is treating him very rigorously. Mikel Arteta is livid, up within the fourth official's grille, performing the elbow mime. He's not proud of Ballard's problem in any respect.

6 min: Trossard crosses from the left. Ballard heads clear, although in doing so catches Merino on the lug with a sharp elbow. Unintentional, however that'll have harm, and the Arsenal participant stays down.

5 min: It's Arsenal's flip for an extended throw. Rice places it in from the best, however Sunderland clear their strains with out fuss. Sunderland counter, and for a second it seems as if Traore will get on the top of an extended ball down the center, however Calafiori is overlaying and places an finish to that individual dream.

4 min: All of which implies that Arsenal have now gone 13 hours with out conceding a purpose.

3 min: Finally the ball's flung into the mixer. Arsenal can solely half clear, and Le Charge wins one other throw on the opposite aspect of the pitch. Mukiele hoicks this one lengthy as properly, however Arsenal cope with this one higher.

2 min: Sunderland get their press on early doorways. Raya is pressured to hack out for a throw. Mukiele prepares to fling it into the field … however earlier than he can achieve this, the referee must fetch a brand new flag for considered one of his linesmen. Tum-te-tum.

Sunderland get the ball rolling. What an environment!

… however earlier than kick-off, there's a second of silence in honour and respect of the fallen. A wreath of poppies laid by the centre circle. Immaculately noticed. Pin-drop good. Then the Final Put up. And eventually a Roker-style roar of gratitude to interrupt the silence. Right here we go, then.

The groups are out! Sunderland of their storied pink and white stripes, Arsenal in second-choice mid-Nineties-throwback squiggly blue. A fantastic anticipatory environment bubbles away, and there are poppy mosaics within the stand forward Remembrance Sunday. We'll be off in a few minutes.

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris speaks to Sky Sports activities … “We are going to see if we are able to discover a possibility to win … or to attain, as a result of it's actually robust to attain towards them … hold enhancing … we want play towards the most effective to enhance … [Granit Xhaka] is absolutely essential for us … a very good participant … a powerful chief … a capability to guide by instance … on the pitch in actual time … to assist others and create new leaders … so it suits rather well with our journey and I hope he shall be at his finest right this moment.”

… then his Arsenal counterpart Mikel Arteta takes his flip. “There's pleasure to return right here and do what we have now been doing … earn the best to win the sport … each recreation within the Premier League is a very robust place to return and we're actually conscious of that … if you transfer a participant from a deep place to a entrance place, usually the opposite method round is less complicated, that method is extra difficult and Mikel [Merino] has completed an excellent job each time … we're going to want him right this moment once more.”

Early arrivals to this MBM will know that there was once an image of a canine in a Sunderland coat on the high. The image editor has since chased him away, however let's see if we are able to entice the little scamp again, as a result of in any other case the e-mail I'm about to publish in right this moment's Pre-match Postbag will make no sense.

Right here, boy!
[clicks fingers, whistles]
Right here, boy!
[sound of scampering]
Right here you're! Right here he's! He's again!

Good boy! What an excellent boy! OK, sit. Keep.

Pre-match postbag. “The canine in your header picture has the thousand-yard stare of a life-long human Sunderland supporter” – Andy (not that one) Flintoff.

The entire earlier matches have now completed. Barry Glendenning has the main points of the 3pms and wins for Everton and West Ham, however solely the lunchtime kick-off had any impact on this match, in a lot as the purpose Spurs gained of their 2-2 draw with Manchester United has nudged Sunderland down one spot to fifth.

Right here's an illustration of the scale and scope of the duty dealing with Sunderland right this moment. Arsenal final conceded a purpose at 5.05pm on 28 September. Since then, they've solely allowed 12 photographs on course in 12 hours and 56 minutes of soccer, over eight-and-a-half matches, a sequence that equals a membership document established in 1903, once they had been nonetheless knocking round in Woolwich. Nick Ames digs deeper.

Sunderland are in If It Ain't Broke mode. They identify the identical XI that began the 2-1 win at Chelsea and the 1-1 draw with Everton. This would be the first time Granit Xhaka has confronted Arsenal since leaving the Gunners two years in the past.

Arsenal make three adjustments after their 3-0 win at Slavia Prague. Eberechi Eze, Martín Zubimendi and Riccardo Calafiori step up; Ethan Nwaneri, Christian Nørgaard and Piero Hincapié sit down. Viktor Gyökeres stays on the harm checklist with a hamstring drawback.

Sunderland: Roefs, Hume, Mukiele, Ballard, Geertruida, Mandava, Traore, Xhaka, Sadiki, Le Charge, Isidor.
Subs: Patterson, Neil, Talbi, Brobbey, Rigg, Mayenda, O'Nien, Adingra, Masuaku.

Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Eze, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Merino, Trossard.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, White, Hincapie, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman, Harriman-Annous.

Referee: Craig Pawson.
VAR: James Bell.

Sunderland would not have an excellent document towards Arsenal. The final time these golf equipment met, 4 years in the past, Arsenal received 5-1 within the League Cup, although the Black Cats had been a League One outfit on the time. The final time they met within the Premier League, in 2016-17, Arsenal received 2-0 at residence and 4-1 on the Stadium of Gentle. Arsenal are on a 15-game unbeaten streak towards Sunderland within the League that stretches again to 2009, whereas the final time they misplaced any recreation towards them was within the FA Cup in 2012. Historical past is just not on Sunderland's aspect this night.^†

The current type ebook doesn't assist them both, although that's solely as a result of Arsenal proper now are on the most well liked streak within the nation, in Europe, on the planet. The Premier League leaders are at the moment on a run of ten consecutive wins in all competitions, and eight consecutive clear sheets. Who can compete with numbers like that?! The truth is, Sunderland's personal current type is very spectacular: 5 Premier League wins already, and unbeaten at residence, commendable enterprise for a freshly promoted group. And hey, somebody has to attain towards Arsenal in some unspecified time in the future, proper? Eh?

So there may be hope for Sunderland … and we've not even priced within the presence of their group of former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka, who's a headline ready to occur tonight, a technique or one other. You know the way soccer goes typically. Arsenal are scorching favourites, however Sunderland are unlikely to go down and not using a battle. Kick-off is at 5.30pm GMT. It's on!

^{†: To be truthful, Sunderland did beat Arsenal within the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1973, en path to their biggest triumph within the fashionable period. So there may be that. However let's not cloud the difficulty.}