Sunderland v Arsenal: team news and match preview

Sunderland v Arsenal 
Stadium of Light
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Kick-off: 15.00 BST.
TV: Highlights, BBC ONE Match of the Day.

Starting XIs

Sunderland (Possible, 4-1-4-1): Mannone; Vergini, Brown, O'Shea, Van Aanholt; Cattermole; Buckley, Larsson, Gómez, Wickham; Fletcher.
Out: Álvarez (knee), Coates (thigh), Giaccherini (ankle), Jones (hamstring).

Arsenal (Possible, 4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Bellerin, Chambers, Mertesacker, Gibbs; Arteta, Ramsey; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sánchez, Cazorla; Welbeck.
Out: Debuchy (ankle), Diaby (calf), Giroud (foot), Gnabry (knee), Koscielny (Achilles), Ospina (thigh), Özil (knee), Sanogo (hamstring), Walcott (knee), Wilshere (suspended).

Referee: Kevin Friend. Matches: 5, Y20 R0.

Betting: Home 19-5, Away 13-20, Draw 11-4.

Team News
Full-back Anthony Reveillere will be included in the Sunderland squad for the visit of Arsenal provided the club receives his international clearance.

The 34-year-old, a free agent after leaving Napoli in the summer, signed a short-term contract until the end of the season on Thursday after training with the Black Cats for the previous two weeks.

His arrival could be timely for head coach Gus Poyet with fellow defenders Sebastián Coates and Billy Jones likely to be sidelined for several more weeks, while midfielders Emanuele Giaccherini and Ricky Álvarez are also still out.

Meanwhile, Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is suspended.

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny returns having served a one-match European ban for the midweek Champions League win at Anderlecht.

England forward Theo Walcott has played for the Under-21s following nine months out with a knee injury, and while he may not start, he could feature from the bench.

Defender Laurent Koscielny, midfielder Mesut Özil, goalkeeper David Ospina, striker Yaya Sanogo, midfielder Abou Diaby, France forward Olivier Giroud are all still out, along with long-term absentee Mathieu Debuchy.

Match Notes
Sunderland's solid start to the season was ruined in devastating fashion at Southampton last weekend, but manager Gus Poyet believes this is the perfect match to get that 8-0 humiliation out of their system.

Poyet has taken the defeat at St Mary's badly, but that would appear to be bravado on his part. Arsenal have also had their problems this season, particularly in the league, but the nature of their midweek Champions League win over Anderlecht has given them momentum.

They also have a decent record on Wearside.

Stat of the game: Arsenal are two goals short of scoring 1,500 in the Premier League.

Luke Edwards' prediction: Sunderland 0 Arsenal 2.