Image source, Getty ImagesIn Eliezer Mayenda, Dan Ballard and Wilson Isidor, Sunderland are the first team to have three players score on their Premier League debut in the same match since Reading against Middlesborough in August 2006 (Dave Kitson, Steve Sidwell and Leroy Lita).
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 West Ham's display?
Come back to this page on Sunday to find a selection of your replies
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris hands Premier League debuts to seven summer signings, as Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, Reinildo Mandova, Chemsdine Talbi, Simon Adingra and goalkeeper Robin Roefs all starting.
Fellow new arrivals Enzo Le Fee, Marc Guiu, Omar Alderete are on the bench, but former Hammers defender Arthur Masuaku is not in the matchday squad.
Sunderland XI: Roefs, Hume, Seelt, Ballard, Reinaldo, Sadiki, Xhaka, Diarra, Talbi, Mayenda, Adingra
Subs: Patterson, Neil, Guiu, Roberts, Rigg, Alderete, Isidor, Le Fee, Jones
West Ham manager Graham Potter hands former Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen his Hammers debut, with Alphonse Areola having to settle for a place on the bench.
El Hadji Malick Diouf also starts, while Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson are named among the substitutes.
West Ham XI: Hermansen, Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd, Wan-Bissaka, Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse, Diouf, Bowen, Paqueta, Fullkrug
Subs: Areola, Walker-Peters, Alvarez, Wilson, Mavropanos, Soucek, Scarles, Potts, Irving
Five matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.
Aston Villa v Newcastle (12:30)
Brighton v Fulham
Sunderland v West Ham - BBC Radio 5 Live
Tottenham v Burnley - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Wolves v Manchester City (17:30) - BBC Radio 5 Live
All kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated
Sunderland have made so many changes that they are unrecognisable from the team that won promotion last season.
I love their ambition but I'm not sure it will keep them up. A good start is vital to the promoted teams - and how quickly will they gel?
There are question marks over West Ham too. They were feeble at times under Graham Potter after he took charge halfway through last season and, while he could argue that wasn't his team, he cannot have the same excuse now.
This is a big season for Potter and I think it will start well. West Ham have got enough nous to deal with the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light and leave with three points.
Sutton's prediction: 0-1
Nick Barnes
Sunderland commentator on BBC Radio Newcastle
Image source, Getty ImagesEight long years since Sunderland last graced the Premier League. Optimism is high. Expectation great. Excitement palpable.
The reality? It is virtually a brand new team.
Probably eight debutants and only two with Premier League experience in Granit Xhaka and Simon Adingra.
But in the words of the experienced Xhaka: "We're not here to take part we're here to make history."
It is brazen and bold but it strikes a chord among Sunderland fans.
They do not want to be one season wonders. They want to cement their place in the top flight.
Their previous 10- year stay saw them flirt with relegation virtually every season as managers came and managers went.
Now they have put their trust in Regis le Bris, an incumbent who has bucked a trend in staying in post for over a year and, while outside the North East they will unquestionably be the favourites to go straight back down, for Sunderland fans at home and abroad belief is strong and unequivocal.
Sunderland can stay up and the touchstone is the fairytale magic they weaved in the play-off semi-finals and final.
The club is leaving no stone unturned to give it their very best shot.
Listen to full commentary of Sunderland v West Ham on BBC Radio Newcastle from 15:00 BST on Saturday
Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist
Sunderland begin their first Premier League campaign since 2017 at home to a West Ham United side hoping to improve following a mixed a start under Graham Potter. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes before the opener.
Can Sunderland spring a surprise on top-flight return?
Sunderland return to the Premier League for the first time in eight years as the makings of a surprise package.
The newly promoted team have so far spent a net total of around £100m on transfers and although Jobe Bellingham has departed to the Bundesliga, 11 new arrivals have sparked hopes that rather than simply surviving, Sunderland may even prosper on their return to top-flight football.
Only Burnley have signed more players so far this summer and the Black Cats' new recruits may well take time to gel.
A crucial part of their transfer policy has been to attract players with Premier League experience: Sunderland began the summer transfer window with a squad totalling just 25 Premier League appearances, and only two starts, split between Simon Moore, Ian Poveda, Patrick Roberts, Leo Hjelde and Niall Huggins.
They have since signed Granit Xhaka, who made 225 Premier League appearances during his seven-year stint with Arsenal, along with Brighton winger Simon Adingra (60 Premier League appearances) and Chelsea forward Marc Guiu (three Premier League appearances).
Hammers aiming to improve after tough 2024-25
Sunderland face a West Ham side who underwhelmed following the arrival of Graham Potter last season. The Hammers averaged 1.11 points per game and a 28% win rate in Potter's 18 Premier League matches in charge in 2024-25, lower than predecessor Julen Lopetegui's 1.15 pts per game and 30% win rate last season.
Potter's West Ham also lagged behind in various metrics as his possession-based style of football struggled to take hold.
Potter 'happy' with transfer window
In contrast to the opening-day opponents, West Ham's transfer window has been a little quieter. Potter has said he is "very happy" with the club's business despite losing Mohammed Kudus to London rivals Tottenham for £55m.
The Irons have added experienced Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer, along with Leicester City goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and Slavia Prague defender El Hadji Malick Diouf, while their search for goals has so far been pinned on the signing of free agent Callum Wilson following his departure from Newcastle.
It is a risk for an injury-prone player who turns 34 in February – Wilson managed only two Premier League starts last season and scored just once in 22 appearances in all competitions.
West Ham, though, have been boosted by the availability of key midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who escaped punishment after a spot-fixing investigation by the FA for alleged deliberate bookings was found to be unproven.
Since joining from Lyon for an initial £36.5m in August 2022, Paqueta tops the club's rankings for tackles, duels won, possession won and successful passes while only Jarrod Bowen has created more chances and provided a greater tally of assists.
Hanging on to the 55-cap Brazil international until the end of the transfer window could be West Ham's best business of the summer.
Joe Rindl
BBC Sport journalist
How each promoted side starts the season is one of the best indicators when it comes to survival chances.
Every promoted side over the past 10 seasons with 11 points or more after 10 games has survived, while taking fewer than that has meant an almost guaranteed return to the Championship.
It'll be worth bookmarking this article and returning to it on 1 November. That's when all three promoted teams should have played 10 matches - although fixture dates can still be changed.
Incidentally, the two survivors - despite poor starts - were Bournemouth in 2015-16 (eight points after 10 games) and Nottingham Forest in 2022-23 (five points after 10 games).
Simon Pryde of BBC Radio Newcastle gives his verdict on their Premier League chances:
Eight years in the wilderness and Sunderland are now about to embark on their latest Premier League campaign, with the landscape of the league having changed dramatically in that relatively short time.
The gulf between the Championship and Premier League is at its widest
Now Brentford, Bournemouth and Brighton are the shining examples of clubs who have bucked the trend of yo-yoing between the Premier League and Championship, with recruitment models the envy of many clubs.
While Sunderland have their own model of sustainability with a heavy emphasis on youth and academy-grown talent, they have bitten the bullet and spent more than £100m in the transfer market in a bid to stay up.
Sunderland are being reshaped and the owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has to be applauded in his ambition. The financial decisions this summer will not have been taken lightly nor rashly.
There is a renewed optimism and Sunderland fans will hope his vision and the incredible journey - the seeds of which were sown with a return to the Championship in 2022 - can continue in the Premier League.
But a fast start is crucial.
Image source, Getty ImagesBBC Sport's TV and radio commentators have picked two Sunderland players who will be worth watching out for in the next few months.
Simon Adingra
Age: 23 Position: Winger Country: Ivory Coast
Jonathan Pearce: I wish Simon Adingra well at Sunderland. This talented Ivorian had a really good first season at Brighton, famously scoring at Ajax to send the travelling fans there into delirium.
He started last season well, too, with four goals in his first eight games, but then the confidence in his tricky dribbling fell away. He seemed to be trying almost too hard to hold off the challenge from Yankuba Minteh for his place, and his performances suffered.
I hope Sunderland fans are excited by him. £18m is not a lot for a player who deserves to succeed in his fresh start
Habib Diarra
Age: 21 Position: Midfielder Country: Senegal
Guy Mowbray: Can a club record signing be classed as a 'wildcard'? Well, given that Diarra will be new to most Premier League watchers, I'm putting him in that bracket.
Only 21, the midfielder - who Sunderland beat Leeds to sign - captained Strasbourg to European qualification last season, before scoring one of Senegal's three goals against England at the City Ground in June.
His quality stood out when I went to watch Sunderland's pre-season game against Sporting last month.
Enzo Le Fee
Age: 25 Position: Midfield Country: France
Steven Wyeth: Sunderland's 2025 business throws up plenty of 'ones to watch' and January loan arrival Enzo le Fee certainly has the attributes to succeed in the Premier League, with the added motivation of a point to prove.
It is just over a year since Roma parted with good money to sign Le Fee on the back of his performances in France for Rennes and Lorient. An early season injury, and managerial instability that surfaced while he was sidelined were significant in what became a transient spell in the Eternal City.
Now, a talent who thrives on creative responsibilities gets another shot in one of Europe's major leagues, and this time under the tutelage of a manager, Regis le Bris, who previously guided him through the ranks at Lorient.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe have looked into the age profile of Sunderland's players for the 2025-26 season and recorded what percentage of minutes each of them played last campaign.
For the purpose of this exercise, we have deemed those under 24 as youth, between 24 and 30 as in their peak years and anyone over 30 to be a veteran.
The green represents new signings, who naturally did not play, red are those that have since left the club and yellow are all those that remain.
As expected, Sunderland's squad skews heavily towards the youth category - and their summer signings have continued in the same vein.
While some clubs come into the Premier League and seek experience, the Black Cats have largely gone the other way, though Granit Xhaka's installation as captain may well have a deeper impact generally.
Ultimately, if several of the green dots here can play a healthy number of minutes - pushing up towards the top of the chart - it will prove priceless for the club.
Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist
Sunderland boss Regis le Bris has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against West Ham at the Stadium of Light (kick-off 15:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Le Bris confirmed that a decision will be made on Friday as to whether latest signings Omar Alderete and Arthur Masuaku are available to start Saturday's match or use as an option later in the game.
On Granit Xhaka being named as the new captain: "It's really natural because of Granit's level and his experience, leadership and understanding of the game. It's really easy after 10 minutes on the pitch to know that he will be our captain."
He added: "For Dan [Neil] [who was captain last season] it's an opportunity to grow. He's young, still only 23 and he has the potential to become a Premier League player. For us as a club, a squad, as a coach and as a manager, it's a chance with this new experience to grow and that is the same for Dan."
Le Bris feels like the "mindset has changed" this week as they prepare for their Premier League return: "We have to accept that we will suffer because the league is the best in the world, but let's fight and we'll see [what happens]."
On how he would describe the summer at the club: "Busy. Interesting. The workflow was really positive. You can feel it in the building. Lots of work to do as it is a massive change. We reinforce everything in the club to be competitive at that level, so challenge is there but it's very positive the way we solve different problems and it has been a very positive experience."
He said they need to "break the rule" for promoted clubs struggling to pick up points early and added: "It is very important. Last season we broke the rule with five defeats in a row. So there is always a new story. Can't be limited with previous experiences. It is a new experience and we believe we can hunt every single point and do our best for the fans."
On proving people wrong like last season: "This is our mindset because we don't know the future. It is up to us to decide how we want to work, how we want to play, how we want to face the different challenges, how we want to be resilient, how we want to develop our togetherness - that is on us."
Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news
BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has offered up his annual predictions:
19) Sunderland
Last season: Fourth in Championship (promoted via play-offs)
No-one could accuse Sunderland of not having a go at staying up - bringing in enough players for a new XI to build on their promotion last season.
There have been 11 new signings at the last count as manager Regis le Bris receives strong backing in the battle to stay in the Premier League.
Granit Xhaka's seven years of Premier League experience with Arsenal, as well as his success with Bayer Leverkusen, will be vital, while the arrival of Senegal midfielder Habib Diarra from Strasbourg in a club record £30m deal was another notable signing. The Black Cats also paid Brighton £21m for winger Simon Adingra to add more Premier League experience.
Other arrivals include former West Ham defender Arthur Masuaku, Enzo le Fee, Noah Sadiki, Reinildo Mandava, Chemsdine Talbi, Robin Roefs and Marc Guiu.
It's quite an effort but integrating so many new signings may actually prove a problem.
Image source, Getty ImagesSunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka says he "demands a lot" after being named the club's new captain.
The 32-year-old only arrived this summer from Bayer Leverkusen but has been handed the armband by head coach Regis le Bris as the club return to the Premier League for the first time in eight years.
Xhaka, who has previous experience in the league with Arsenal, captained Leverkusen on a number of occasions and has also skippered his national side Switzerland since 2020.
"It makes me incredibly proud to be captain of this club and of this team. I hope to show my leadership on and off the pitch, helping my team-mates in the training ground and across the club," he told club media.
"To be part of Sunderland's history, alongside some of the names who have worn the armband before, is an honour.
"People who know me know exactly what they'll get – I'm someone who demands a lot. I'm a winner and I want to win – and I expect the same from my team-mates."
Le Bris added: "In the Premier League, it will be important to have consistency, maturity, and experience. Granit brings all these qualities.
"His behaviour so far has been very impressive, and on the field, you can see that his level is high. Others around him can feel this influence, and his leadership will support the team as we adapt to a different environment and face new challenges and opportunities.
"Granit's role will also form part of a new leadership team, which will be finalised following the end of the summer transfer window."
Image source, Getty ImagesThe draw for the second round of the Carabao Cup has been made.
The EFL Cup remains regionalised in the early rounds, with the draw split into Northern and Southern sections until round three.
Here are the ties involving Premier League clubs:
Northern section
Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds United
Burnley v Derby County
Everton v Mansfield Town
Grimsby Town v Manchester United
Sunderland v Huddersfield Town
Southern section
Bournemouth v Brentford
Fulham v Bristol City
Oxford United v Brighton
Wolves v West Ham United
The 23 second-round ties will take place during the week beginning 25 August.
Image source, Getty ImagesLavery in pre-season action against Sevilla in July
Cliftonville have secured a season-long loan for Sunderland defender Tom Lavery.
The 19-year-old featured in pre-season friendlies for the Black Cats against Sporting Lisbon and Sevilla when part of the club's training camp in Portugal, while also featuring in a home game against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
A product of the Sunderland academy, Lavery was a regular for the Under-21s last season, while also featuring in seven matchday squads in the English Championship.
Lavery is the sixth arrival at Solitude this summer and Sunderland Academy Robin Nicholls feels the loan move will benefit all parties.
"This loan presents a great opportunity for Tommy to continue developing in senior football," he said.
"He has spent most of this pre-season with our first team, so he has been exposed to a high level of competition and training for several weeks now.
"We are grateful that Cliftonville will present an opportunity for him to continue his learning and development."
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