Sunderland

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On this day in 2010, Sunderland stunned Chelsea with a memorable 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge - a result that still stands out as one of the club's finest Premier League away performances.

Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle about his time at the club, Nedum Onuoha added how special the victory was and how it remains as one of his most memorable moments in football.

The former defender said: "A couple of weeks after what was the worst day for Sunderland in derby history, we weren't necessarily in the best of moments as well. For that to happen and for me to be a goalscorer, for somebody who was playing right-back in the game, why was I 40 yards up the pitch?

"After I scored that goal and after the game, that was the most messages I have ever received and I had played for 16-17 years. It was astonishing."

The current Sunderland side have made an excellent start to the season following their promotion to the Premier League in May.

Onuoha added: "From the moment they started to bring in more players, you started to wonder if it will all gel together? Will they understand what it's like to play for Sunderland, what it's like to be up there and what it's like to be an underdog and so on. And ultimately, they have done.

"It looks like the players have been buying into what it means to play for the club. And the manager as well, I think he's doing a fantastic job.

"The way they have played makes them very tough to beat. I think their defensive record shows that. They are not an easy team to play against, and at times, opposition teams underestimate them.

"I have been very impressed. At the moment, it is maxing out the potential, but things could turn in an instant."

Listen on BBC Sounds

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We wanted your suggestions for Sunderland's all-time best Premier League XI.

And you delivered!

Here's a first bunch:

Nick: 4-4-2. Sorensen, Nosworthy, Kaboul, Kone, Van Aanholt, Larsson, Cattermole, Sessegnon, Arca, Jones, Phillips. I want chaos, crosses, knock-downs and Kev to bang in 42 goals in a week. Big Sam as manager here too.

John: 4-4-2. Sorensen, Kay, Alderete, Mukiele, Alonso, Sadiki, Diarra, Xhaka, Schwarz, Quinn, Phillips. Sunderland 2025 vintage are amazing but still room for a few tweaks to improve the squad. Could never separate Quinn and Phillips. Harsh to leave out Ballard and Hume.

Paul: 4-3-3. Mignolet, Bardsley, Ballard, Mukiele, Gray, Henderson, Xhaka, Reyna, Jones, Quinn, Phillips. Terrific players across three campaigns.

Reece: 4-2-3-1. Pickford, Hume, Kaboul, Ballard, Alonso, Cattermole, Xhaka, Larsson, Khazri, Defoe. The best players to play for Sunderland in the past 20 years. There are other almosts from the Championship but they didn't make the Premier League.

It's international break so let's have a bit of fun to pass the time.

Now we know football existed before 1992 but for the purposes of this little exercise, keep it Premier League please.

So tell us, who would be in your dream Sunderland Premier League XI?

The debate starts here.

Send your suggestions

Gavin Henderson
Fan writer

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Before Saturday's game, Arsenal were being built up as a mountain that nobody, not even Sunderland, were capable of climbing. Having conceded only three goals all season, riding high at the top of the division, it was seen as a bridge too far to imagine that Regis le Bris and his side could overcome them.

And, to be fair, I get it. Arsenal's ability to ensure they don't even concede shots, never mind goals, is unbelievable, and I'm fully expecting them to win the Premier League this season if they can be the solid defensive unit that they have proven themselves to be so far.

You should never write Sunderland off, though. We might not have the best players - although they are pretty damn good - but we have got more heart and spirit than any other team I have seen in the division this season.

Arsenal may well be a physical and organised side, but so are we - and, ultimately, they had no answer to the brute force of Dan Ballard and Brian Brobbey on the night.

I cheekily remarked on our podcast after the game that we had won 2-2, but it did genuinely feel that way.

Despite only collecting a point, the feeling when Brobbey muscled past Gabriel and karate-kicked the ball into David Raya's net was as good as any feeling I have had when we have scored a winner.

The Stadium of Light went berserk, bodies were flying all around me, and Sunderland achieved what I suspect few others will do this season - we took points off the mighty Arsenal and managed to breach a backline that has looked tighter than 10 coats of paint.

Four points from two games against Chelsea and Arsenal is an unbelievable return, and now is the time to start taking this Sunderland side seriously.

Barring a complete disaster, I would expect results to carry on in the manner that they have done thus far, and that would mean we are on course for a top-half finish, and a potential European place.

We are only about a third of the way into the season, but we need to start talking ourselves up instead of down. Why not? What have we got to lose? These players are certainly good enough.

Aim for the stars, because you never know what might happen.

Find more from Gavin Henderson at Roker Report, external

Sin bins? Bonus points? Two goals if you score from distance?

Imagine a world in which you could reinvent football.

It's a dream, of course. Just a bit of fun. But stick with us.

What if you had the power to change any of the game's laws and potentially bring to an end countless hours of discussion about handball, offside, video assistant referees, or anything else you want to?

Some of BBC Sport's familiar football faces have offered their own potential rule changes.

Watch them above or read more here

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Former Sunderland forward Marco Gabbiadini has described the Black Cats' start to the season as "remarkable".

Regis le Bris' side are fourth in the table, with five wins and four draws in their opening 11 matches. Among their impressive results are a 2-1 victory at Chelsea and holding leaders Arsenal to a 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Gabbiadini told BBC Radio Newcastle: "We are earning our stripes. There isn't any fluke about it.

"We all hoped we'd have a pleasant season without too much stress, but at the moment we're really taking it to the opposition.

"For a promoted team to be this competitive, and this competitive against the top teams, is remarkable.

"At what point do we start getting carried away? The only thing that's going to scupper us is losing key players. I can't see us really dipping."

Hear more on BBC Sounds

Whether Granit Xhaka is the signing of the season so far was a topic for discussion on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

The Observer's Rory Smith argued that the Black Cats' "really impressive" transfer activity goes much deeper than just bringing in the former Arsenal midfielder.

"Xhaka draws the eye because the transfer was such a head-scratcher," said Smith.

"I think it does distract from the fact they've signed some really good other players.

"Sunderland have got four or five players who have been used to playing in the Champions League."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

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Sunderland defender Dan Ballard believes his side "always have a gameplan to win" as they drew 2-2 with league leaders Arsenal.

Ballard opened the scoring against the Gunners before Sunderland fell 2-1 behind - and then a last-minute equaliser from Brian Brobbey earned the hosts a point.

Sunderland became the first side in the league to score more than one goal against Arsenal this season. Mikel Arteta's side had conceded just three goals from 10 league games before their trip to the Stadium of Light.

Speaking on his opening goal, Ballard said: "It was a really special moment for me, and a really important goal as well.

"We're scoring late goals and defending like our lives depend on it.

"We prepared for Arsenal like a normal game, but obviously the quality is a lot higher. It's exactly the game we thought would happen.

"You can probably tell that we always have a gameplan to win. We set out to win and I thought we executed the gameplan.

"It could have gone either way so we're obviously happy with the point."

You can listen to more from Ballard on BBC Sounds

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Former England striker Wayne Rooney says Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka is "probably the signing of the season".

Xhaka has played every minute of all Sunderland's league games, scoring once and providing three assists.

They currently sit fourth in the table after an impressive 2-2 draw with league leaders Arsenal.

Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show: "Coming back to the Premier League, you wonder if he can do it. Obviously with a promoted team as well coming up, what impact could he have?

"But he's probably been the signing of the season. He has been brilliant."

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Sunderland and Arsenal at the Stadium of Light.

Here are some of your comments:

Sunderland

Martin: What a team, what a performance! Dan Ballard showed his most complete game and so many of the rest of the team are really firing on all cylinders now. Brian Brobbey will get the headlines for the dramatic finish but Bertrand Traore was really impressive again. Another seven wins and we're safe...

Vince (Arsenal fan): Sunderland are quite simply Granit Xhaka personified. Steely willed and never one to throw in the towel, they did exactly what Xhaka pulled off when, as Arsenal captain, he roared back into favour after being booed off the field months earlier. Now, as Sunderland skipper, he is undoubtedly the driving force behind their lofty position in perhaps the world's toughest football league.

Klaus: This result could prove to be pivotal come the end of the season.

Tony: Felt we were very comfortable up until the rob by Declan Rice on Enzo le Fee. It became a different game after the equaliser and we were under the cosh. It turned again when Arsenal brought on a defender and we brought on a striker.

Arsenal

Neil: Arsenal were given no time to settle on the ball. However, they did look in control and there will not be many times they will they concede two goals from only two shots on target. Had a penalty been rightly given (what's the point of VAR?) early on when Mikel Merino was elbowed in the face before the ball was won, maybe the result would have been different.

Steadyedd: We looked leggy in midfield after Leandro Trossard scored, yet Mikel Arteta only made one substitution with Cristhian Mosquera. Surely this was the perfect game to bring on Christian Norgaard to help see it out and take some pressure off the centre-backs? Take Eberechi Eze off, man. Ben White and Piero Hincapie were both on the bench too, so use them to slow the game down. The calamitous equaliser could have been avoided with better in-game management. I'll allow Arteta the odd mistake, but he really has to look at himself here.

Tommy: Let's put the Arsenal run into perspective. Dropped points against three of the top six (before Sunday's games). Will crack again under the pressure of a close title challenge.

James: I'm sure there will be a pile-on because it's Arsenal and they dared to drop points for once. Not our best game but agonisingly close to pulling a result out of the bag. Really disappointed but we are a really, really good side. One result doesn't change that although the usual social media and mainstream media cliches will come out. We move on.

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

It was the two ex-Arsenal men - Granit Xhaka and Dan Ballard - who perhaps epitomised Sunderland's battling spirit best in their draw against Arsenal.

Xhaka was the leader on the pitch, orchestrating things in the middle, while Ballard drove the opener past David Raya, provided an assist for the equaliser, and made a brilliant block in the final few seconds to prevent Arsenal snatching the win.

Ballard started his professional career at the Gunners, having been in the club's academy since the age of eight, but did not make a first-team appearance for them before joining Sunderland in 2022.

"It's a good morale boost to show we can go against a really top team - probably one of the best in Europe at the minute - and delighted with that," Ballard told Match of the Day after Saturday's game.

"But it is just one point and we've got a lot of work to do to achieve our goal of staying up this year."

Former England striker Alan Shearer told BBC Match of the Day: "Ballard epitomised everything Sunderland have done so well, with his aggression and stopping Arsenal play.

"They are really, really tough to play against and there were so many examples of him and his team putting their bodies in the line. Arsenal will not have many tougher games than that this season, and Sunderland thoroughly deserved the point."

The draw means Sunderland remain unbeaten at home and they have 19 points from 11 games, well on the way to avoiding relegation as they sit nine points above the bottom three.

"Sunderland went physical today but within the laws of the game, apart from one moment in the first half when Dan Ballard challenged Mikel Merino in the box," Match of the Day pundit and former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott said.

"They were well organised and I didn't think they'd be able to keep it up for 90 minutes.

"There's a reason why Sunderland will be fine in this league. The Stadium of Light is not an easy place to play football.

"It was the most rattled I've seen Gabriel and William Saliba this season."

You can read more analysis of Sunderland's draw with Arsenal here

Pundits Alan Shearer and Theo Walcott join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Everton 2-0 Fulham

• West Ham 3-2 Burnley

• Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris, speaking to BBC Match of the Day after their 2-2 draw with Arsenal: "The lads worked hard to the end. They believed it was possible to change the dynamic. It was a tough game, as we expected. They are probably one of the best teams in Europe. We struggled, but we still believed it was possible to score one more goal.

"Our fans helped a lot. We showed before that it was possible [to score late goals], so now we have this faith, this belief that until the final whistle, anything is possible.

"We were on the edge sometimes, but we're a new squad, we're young. We felt their pressure, their intensity. We felt the quality. We were on the edge during the second half.

"We tried to find the details to win the game. They're really strong on set pieces, but we're good as well. This was really important for this game, and it was balanced."

On Brian Brobbey: "We have many good options coming off the bench. So far, some of them haven't played a lot but were still connected with the squad. Brian worked hard after Wilson [Isidor], because Wilson started well. It's a reward for working hard."

On Sunderland's start: "For our fans, they deserve to look to the future with positive vibes. As a manager and coaching staff, we still want to improve our team, so we analyse. It was a good opportunity to do that and to improve the squad later."

Did you know?

Sunderland have scored more 90th minute goals than any other side in the Premier League this season with five - including stoppage time - with three of these goals altering the result of the match in their favour (W2 D1).

Listen to Le Bris' post-match thoughts on BBC Sounds

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Sunderland's performance

What did you make of Arsenal's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Sunderland name an unchanged side for the visit of Arsenal as Granit Xhaka faces his former side.

Sunderland XI: Roefs; Hume, Mukiele, Ballard, Geertruida, Reinildo; Xhaka, Sadiki, Traore, Le Fee; Isidor.

Subs: Patterson, Neil, Talbi, Brobbey, Rigg, Mayenda, O'Nien, Adingra, Masuaku.

There's three changes for Arsenal.

Martin Zubimendi returns from suspension while Eberechi Eze and Riccardo Calafiori also come back into the XI.

Mikel Merino continues to start in attack.

Arsenal XI: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Saka, Trossard, Merino.

Subs: Arrizabalaga, White, Lewis-Skelly, Hincapie, Mosquera, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Dowman, Harriman-Annous.

Sunderland improved a lot as their game went on against Everton, but they got a real good going-over in the early stages.

They cannot afford to start like that against Arsenal, who have superior players and are such a threat from set-pieces too.

The Gunners don't have to play well to win, they just grind away until they find a way through.

Mikel Arteta's side weren't pretty when they beat Slavia Prague in the Champions League but they don't care, and why should they?

Some of the football they play might get people asking whether that is the way you'd want to win a title, but do you think the Arsenal players will be bothered when they are popping open the champagne?

It is about knowing how to do it, not how you do it.

There is a lot of the old '1-0 to the Arsenal' in this current Gunners team, although I do expect them to take more goals off other teams at times.

It is at the back where they are so strong.

Can Sunderland cause them problems? Absolutely, but I think this latest Arsenal win will come off the back of another Arsenal clean sheet.

Sutton's prediction: 0-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Tottenham v Manchester United (12:30)

• Everton v Fulham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• West Ham v Burnley - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Sunderland v Arsenal (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Chelsea v Wolves (20:00)

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Everton v Fulham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Sunderland v Arsenal", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

High-flying Sunderland face their biggest test to date as they host league leaders Arsenal at the Stadium of Light on Saturday (17:30 GMT). BBC Sport explores some key themes surrounding this fixture.

Sunderland's Xhaka set for emotional reunion

Promoted Sunderland's exceptional start to this Premier League campaign has been well documented.

Their total of 18 points from the opening 10 games is the best return by a newly promoted side for 17 years.

That side was Hull City in 2008-09, who amassed 20 points from their first 10 matches before an alarming drop in form. Phil Brown's team collected a meagre 15 from their remaining 28 fixtures and ended the season just a point above the relegation zone in 17th.

Hull's sharp decline is a reminder of the Premier League's unforgiving nature and Saturday's clash with Arsenal is likely to be the toughest test yet for Regis Le Bris and his players.

Much of the focus this weekend will be on midfielder Granit Xhaka, as the 33-year-old – who scored his first Sunderland goal in the 1-1 draw with Everton on Monday night – is set to face his former club this weekend.

Xhaka made 225 Premier League appearances for the Gunners between 2016 and 2023, with 113 of those coming under their current boss Mikel Arteta. The Swiss international is one of just nine players to represent both clubs in the division, including Nicklas Bendtner and Steve Bould.

Europe's best defence

Arsenal's rise to the top of the Premier League table has primarily been built on defence.

Their clean sheet in the 3-0 win at Slavia Prague on Tuesday night was their eighth in a row in all competitions, equalling a 122-year-old club record.

The previous feat was achieved by Woolwich Arsenal in 1903 and it was between seasons, which makes this current run all the more impressive.

Their past four wins have all come without conceding and the Gunners last won five successive league games without letting in a goal some 38 years ago under George Graham.

The Gunners have the best defensive record of any team in Europe's top five leagues this term, with the most shut-outs, the fewest goals conceded and fewest shots on target faced per game.

Mikel Arteta's side have conceded only 19 shots on target in the Premier League this season, including just one across their last four matches. Their average of 1.9 shots on target faced per game is the lowest since Opta's records began in 2003-04.

The league leaders have a watertight defence, one of the deepest squads in Europe and have scored eight top-flight goals from corners this season – the most ever by a side in their first 10 games of a season.

Recent history is also on their side in this fixture. The Gunners are unbeaten in their past 15 Premier League meetings with Sunderland, winning 10 and drawing five.

Holly Bacon
BBC Sport journalist

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Arsenal at the Stadium of Light (kick-off 17:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Le Bris says Omar Alderete will not be available this weekend and that it's "not really serious" but the club have followed the concussion protocol which is "really strict". The Sunderland boss says he will probably be able to get some minutes with Paraguay and get ready for the Fulham game. The defender was concussed against Wolves on 18 October.

• He confirmed there are no fresh injury concerns and provided an update on Habib Diarra's recovery. He said the Senegal international is "in a good place" but they won't rush the process because "it is an important injury".

• On his side's character and coming from behind in games, Le Bris said: "We can keep our consistency even if something is going wrong. In this Premier League with a young squad it's something which is very positive. I think we have this character, this spirit to stay in the game and stay composed, try and fight until the end - which is a motto for us. The other side, this league is really demanding so it is not a surprise to concede a goal."

• Le Bris says the confidence Granit Xhaka transmits to the squad is really important and that it is "a really good opportunity" for Sunderland to have a player like him because "the club wants to grow and you need to set the standards".

• More on the qualities of Xhaka, who faces his former club this weekend: "We spoke this week about his leadership and we agreed that one of the main strengths of a leader is to create another leader and he is doing this every day".

• Le Bris believes the game against Arsenal has arrived at "the perfect time" to test them. He added: "We have to play our best football and if we are afraid or a bit reserved against this kind of team we will be punished. If we are too emotional we will be punished. We have to do a masterclass - no choice!"

• On whether they're trying to find a way to stop Arsenal getting corners, Le Bris joked: "I don't know if it's possible."

Hear more from Regis le Bris on BBC Sounds

Listen to Sunderland v Arsenal on Radio 5 Live via BBC Sounds here from 17:30 GMT on Saturday

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

How to follow the Premier League on the BBC this weekend

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With the countdown to the Celebrity Traitors final under way, we asked you which Sunderland player or manager - past or present - would make the best traitor and faithful.

Here are some of your comments:

Joe: Granit Xhaka could be a faithful, traitor or take over from Claudia... because he's Xhaka.

Simon: Only one candidate for traitor - Paolo di Canio. And faithful? Jimmy Montgomery, Kevin Ball or Gary Bennett maybe?

Chris: Luke O'Nien would make a good faithful because of his loyalty and he is a team player. And traitor would be Jack Colback for the way he left for Newcastle - no loyalty.

Simon: The best traitor would be David Moyes for many, many obvious reasons...

You can watch the final of The Celebrity Traitors live from 21:00 GMT on BBC iPlayer