🔊 Sunderland or Brentford: Who will be in better physical shape four days after the English League Cup? The clubs have had contrasting starts to the season across all competitions. Sunderland made a strong impression in their first Premier League match in eight years but then reverted to their Championship form. Brentford, on the other hand, are starting to find their footing after a managerial change and are currently on a two-game winning streak. Can the "Black Cats" secure three points at the Stadium of Light, or will the "Bees" extend their streak? We'll delve into the potential outcome in our insightful prediction.

Head-to-Head

📊 The teams are set to face off for the first time in the Premier League. Previously, they clashed twice in the 2017/18 Championship season, ending in a 3-3 draw at Brentford and a 2-0 victory for the visitors in Sunderland. Earlier still, in 2006, they met in the FA Cup, with Brentford emerging victorious once more with a 2-1 win.

Sunderland Team Overview

🔴 Following their triumphant return to the Premier League at the Stadium of Light, marked by a 3-0 victory over West Ham, Régis Le Bris' side have since lost all their matches. Most recently, they suffered a penalty shootout defeat to former Championship rivals Huddersfield, who are now in League One. Sunderland fielded a rotated squad against the lower-league side, which backfired as they couldn't overcome the visitors in the shootout. Their first-team fared no better in the second round of the Premier League; despite having a slight possession advantage (58 to 42%), they failed to convert it into goals away at Burnley, losing 2-0.

⚫ A bright spot for Sunderland in the cup match was Chelsea loanee Marc Guehi. The 19-year-old forward equalized late in the game, helping his team reach the penalty shootout. The match also saw summer signings Nordi Mukiele and Arthur Masuaku make their first starts, with both central defenders playing the full 90 minutes.

Brentford Team Overview

🐝 After a lackluster start in the Premier League, Brentford have found their stride with a two-game winning streak. During this period, they secured victories against notable teams: Aston Villa (1-0) and Bournemouth (2-0). In their home match against the Birmingham side, Keith Andrews' coaching ideas finally came to the fore. The newly appointed manager demonstrated his ability not only to design set-piece plays but also to adapt the team against a strong opponent. One of his strategies was a hybrid system that utilized newcomer Dango Ouattara's movements to gain a numerical advantage in defense against the more powerful Aston Villa. As a result, Ouattara not only scored the winning goal but also contributed defensively.

🔝 Besides Dango Ouattara, Brentford's winter signing, Brazilian Igor Thiago, is also making his mark. The 24-year-old forward didn't register any goal contributions in the second half of last season's Premier League campaign but is beginning to make up for it this season. In three matches, he has scored twice—once in the opening round against Nottingham and again in the cup match against Bournemouth, where he found the net just five minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute. Igor was also instrumental against Aston Villa, as it was from his rebound that Dango Ouattara scored his debut goal.

Latest news

Sunderland

🎙 "It's been two months since my last game. I've been training with the team without a pre-season, but I feel good. I'm disappointed we lost today, but on a personal level, I played a good match. It was great to play with the guys. The fans were behind us tonight, which is always nice. Hopefully, with their support, we can beat Brentford on Saturday. It's a great club, and I'm enjoying myself. I've worked hard and just want to keep going," said Arthur Masuaku about his debut.

❌ Adding to the list of injured players (Luke O'Nien, Alise Ajibola, Romain Mandla, Leo Fuhr Hjelde, and Dennis Cirkin), key defender for the Black Cats, Daniel Ballard, joined after Saturday's match. According to Régis Le Bris, the player's injury isn't too serious, but he will be out for 2-3 weeks and won't feature against Brentford.

Brentford

🎙 Brentford's head coach was thrilled with his first win at the helm: "The strongest feeling is pride. I've already mentioned the unique identity of our team. I felt we fully embraced the spirit and connection between the players, staff, and fans. Ultimately, we played a game that was truly ours," Keith Andrews remarked after the match against Aston Villa.

❌ Vitaly Janelt, who underwent heel surgery, is expected to return only by mid-September. Yoane Wissa is pushing for a transfer and is currently not included in the squad. Frank Onyeka, who provided an assist against Bournemouth, is doubtful after feeling unwell following the cup match.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The match will be officiated by English referee Anthony Taylor. He is regarded as one of the less stringent referees in the league, with an average of 2.4 yellow cards over his last 20 matches. Notably, he tends to issue warnings to the visiting teams more frequently (30 compared to 18). Brentford, who are set to visit the Stadium of Light, have been on the receiving end of more bookings in their last two Premier League outings (4 compared to Sunderland's 1). We believe that backing Brentford to win the yellow card count seems like a reasonable choice.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

The Championship newcomers have a significantly lower goal total in their last 10 matches: 2.2 compared to Brentford's 3.2. Moreover, the hosts have failed to score more than 1.5 goals in 6 of their last 7 home games. While we recall their prolific start in the Premier League against Burnley, the level of opposition is now stepping up to a team vying for a top-ten finish. Brentford have kept clean sheets in their last two consecutive matches, showcasing Keith Andrews' effective defensive organization. Our prediction: Sunderland's individual total will be under 1.5 goals.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Sunderland boast a unique midfield combination with the brilliant playmaker Granit Xhaka surrounded by powerful runners, supported by dynamic wingers in their 4-3-3 system. Even before the Swiss captain joined, Régis Le Bris emphasized playing through rapid flanks. This often led to a high corner count for the team—for instance, in their last 5 home games, Sunderland never delivered fewer than 5 corners. Brentford, on the other hand, prefer to play on the counter, which might result in conceding several set-pieces, especially away from home. Therefore, it seems logical to predict that Sunderland's total corners will exceed 4.5.

The odds are nearly even, with a slight edge to the visitors. Keith Andrews' squad has found decent form ahead of their trip to Sunderland, temporarily setting aside their attacking issues—Igor Thiago and Dango Ouattara are stepping up in place of the uncertain Yoane Wissa. In contrast, the "Black Cats" are missing their defensive leader, Daniel Ballard, which suggests that Keith Andrews might attempt to dominate possession for the first time. We anticipate that the visitors' in-form forwards will deliver a couple of goals and secure a 2-1 victory at the Stadium of Light. Therefore, a cautious bet on Brentford to score more than one goal seems justified here.