North East | Sunderland look to make it two wins from three league games

Sunderland v Brentford Preview

Sunderland will attempt to win their first two Premier League home fixtures of a season for only the second time when they host Brentford on Saturday afternoon.

Author | Lewis Whatley

Stadium | Stadium of Light

Both sides have collected three points from their opening two matches, although their midweek EFL Cup campaigns brought mixed results. The Black Cats were eliminated by Huddersfield Town, while Brentford advanced after defeating Bournemouth.

Pre-match Sunderland conversation

The elation of Sunderland’s 3-0 victory over West Ham United on the opening weekend has quickly faded, with Regis Le Bris’s side now looking to recover from successive domestic defeats.

Beaten in the meeting of the newly promoted sides last weekend, Sunderland were undone by Burnley’s Jaidon Anthony and Josh Cullen, both scoring and providing an assist in a 2-0 win.

Further frustration followed in the EFL Cup, where Marc Guiu’s late header forced penalties against Huddersfield Town, only for the Black Cats to bow out in the shootout. The early exit may yet prove a blessing, allowing Le Bris and his squad to focus solely on the Premier League until the FA Cup resumes in the new year.

READ MORE | Sporting news from across the North East

Victory on Saturday would see Sunderland win their first two home matches of a Premier League season for only the second time, the previous occasion coming in 2001-02 under Peter Reid, when they beat Ipswich Town and Blackburn Rovers.

A closer look at the opposition

Brentford have responded to an opening defeat with back-to-back victories, lifting confidence in both league and cup.

Keith Andrews secured his first top-flight win last weekend as the Bees edged past Aston Villa 1-0, Dango Ouattara marking his debut with the decisive goal. Their momentum carried into the EFL Cup, where Bournemouth were dispatched 2-0 at the Vitality Stadium through strikes from Fabio Carvalho and Igor Thiago. 

READ MORE |  Visit London Super News for the latest Brentford stories and reaction

Although beaten by Nottingham Forest on the road in their opening league fixture, Brentford’s away form in 2025 has been formidable. With 23 points collected on their travels this calendar year, no Premier League side has amassed more.