Premier League: Back to Reality for Sunderland

Sunderland vs Brentford

Sunderland kicked off their Premier League return with aplomb by beating West Ham United 3-0 on the opening matchday. However, a lot can change in a few weeks, as the Black Cats haven’t won a game since then, losing 2-0 to Burnley and being eliminated by Huddersfield via penalties in the EFL Cup second round yesterday. Regis Le Bris’ men aim to return to winning ways when they host Brentford at the Stadium of Light this Saturday.

In contrast, Brentford are slowly finding their groove under new manager Keith Andrews. After losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest on the opening matchday, the Bees secured a 1-0 win against Aston Villa and a 2-0 result over 10-man Bournemouth in the EFL Cup second round last night.

Despite their contrasting recent forms, the pregame SBOTOP betting odds predict a tight contest between Sunderland and Brentford.

 

Talking Points

Sunderland face huge lineup blow

Sunderland are out of the EFL Cup after losing to Huddersfield in the penalty shootout, despite a superb performance from Marc Guiu, who scored the late equaliser after the Black Cats had been trailing for the most part after Leo Castledine’s ninth-minute goal.

Castledine scored off a corner kick for Huddersfield, which would’ve been prevented if Sunderland had cleared the ball from inside the box. Because of this, head coach Regis Le Bris, who rotated his squad yesterday, will likely revert to his usual starters against Brentford.

Unfortunately for the Black Cats, one of their best defenders is unavailable, as Daniel Ballard is out for at least two to three weeks due to a groin injury. The 25-year-old centre-back was forced off during the first half of Sunderland’s 2-0 defeat against Burnley at Turf Moor, and he was not in the matchday squad against Huddersfield.

This may be the reason why Sunderland are linked with centre-backs Jhon Lucumi and Axel Disasi. The Black Cats have reportedly agreed to personal terms with Lucumi after tabling a €28 million bid to Bologna. Disasi, part of Chelsea’s bomb squad, is another alternative, just in case the Lucumi deal falls through.

 

Andrews silencing Brentford’s critics

Brentford manager Keith Andrews stated that the win against Bournemouth yesterday would help silence his team’s critics, especially after losing Thomas Frank, Bryan Mbeumo, and Christian Norgaard this summer. The ex-Sky Sports pundit also praised the positive performances from players returning from long-term injuries, including Igor Thiago, Rico Henry, and Aaron Hickey.

Fabio Carvalho and Igor Thiago scored one goal each to put Bournemouth away last night, despite having fewer possession and total shots. Before this, Dango Ouattara had a dream debut for Brentford against Aston Villa last weekend, as he scored the only goal of the contest during the 12th minute.

​Jordan Henderson also received plaudits for his steady performance against the Villans, and the former Liverpool captain should be fresh enough to start again this weekend.

 

History

Sunderland are winless in their last five meetings against Brentford across all competitions (D2, L3). This Saturday marks the first league encounter between these two clubs after a 2-0 victory by the Bees in the Championship last February 2018. Sunderland vs. Brentford will be the 940th different fixture to have been played in the Premier League. They last faced in the English top-flight in the 1946-47 season, with the Black Cats completing a league double over the Bees via an aggregate tally of 5-1.

Sunderland aim to win their first two Premier League home matches in a season for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign under Peter Reid.

Despite losing to Nottingham Forest on the opening matchday, no team has won more Premier League away points than Brentford this year, who have 23 points (W7, D2, L2), already more than they managed in each of the last three years.

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2025 odds have Brentford winning this contest via a slim margin. The Bees are at 2.39 odds, whereas the Black Cats are not far behind at 2.73, and a draw is at 3.14 in the 1X2 market.

There should be enough goals and Premier League 2025 highlights between these two sides, with Brentford having the stronger team on paper. So, besides going for a victory for the visitors, bettors can also add Total Goal 2-3 at 1.97, Over 2.25 at 1.82, Over 2.50 at 2.07, and Over 2.75 at 2.35 to their parlay. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 2-0 in favour of the Bees – the result of their most recent league encounter – has a solid payday of 12.00 your bet. 

   

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