Ezri Konsa looks set to continue in the Arsenal defence (PA)Sunderland will hope to give Arsenal another tricky test at the Stadium of Light as the Premier League champions aim to extend their impressive start to their title defence. The Gunners saw an 11-match winning run come to an end in dramatic fashion in a 2-2 draw at Sunderland last season but have started this campaign in flying form, with Martin Odegaard securing all three points against Napoli in the Champions League in midweek. The Black Cats will aim to continue a decent start to their sophomore top-flight season, having beaten Fulham 1-0 and drawn with Brentford after a surprise defeat to Ipswich in the first game of the campaign. Sunderland have not beaten Arsenal in their last 17 attempts but former Gunners captain Granit Xhaka continues to be the driving force at the Stadium of Light and he will hope to make life uncomfortable for his former side once again. Follow all of the latest from the Stadium of Light below: When is Sunderland v Arsenal?Sunderland’s clash with Arsenal kicks off at 8pm BST tonight at the Stadium of Light.How can I watch it?Viewers in the UK can watch the match on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 6:30pm BST. It can also be streamed on HBO Max.Will Castle12 September 2026 18:55Alan Smith12 September 2026 18:48Alan Smith12 September 2026 18:48Team news as Jurrien Timber could make returnWe’ll be bringing you confirmed team news in just a few minutes, but here’s what we know so far.Mikel Arteta indicated that Jurrien Timber could make a return from injury for Arsenal tonight having missed the start of the season with a groin issue. “Let’s see,” he said in his press conference on Thursday.Cristhian Mosquera, meanwhile, remains a doubt despite doing “really well” in his recovery from a muscle problem.Sunderland only have the absence of Habib Diarra to contend with, as has been the case since the second game of the season. Romaine Mundle is also out but is very much down in the pecking order, especially after the arrival of Malick Fofana on deadline day.The one-time Arsenal transfer target could now face the Gunners tonight...(Getty)Will Castle12 September 2026 18:40Konsa's quick settleArteta has been impressed by how the England centre back has eased into life at the club since his move from Aston Villa. Will he start tonight?“Well, it's certainly something to admire because it's not easy at all and you should not take it for granted,” Arteta told his pre-match press conference audience. “But after talking to a lot of people that have worked with him, whether they're staff members or players, I already had a sense of the way everybody was talking about him, that he's a person that is great at gathering people together, he has a real personality, a lot of leadership skills, and you saw the first day he just trained the way he was talking, the way he was presenting himself. It was very impressive and so far he's done a really good job.”Alan Smith12 September 2026 18:35Sunderland v Arsenal LIVE!Sunderland will hope to give Arsenal another tricky test at the Stadium of Light as the Premier League champions aim to extend their impressive start to their title defence. The Gunners saw an 11-match winning run come to an end in dramatic fashion in a 2-2 draw at Sunderland last season but have started this campaign in flying form, with Martin Odegaard securing all three points against Napoli in the Champions League in midweek. The Black Cats will aim to continue a decent start to their sophomore top-flight season, having beaten Fulham 1-0 and drawn with Brentford after a surprise defeat to Ipswich in the first game of the campaign. Sunderland have not beaten Arsenal in their last 17 attempts but former Gunners captain Granit Xhaka continues to be the driving force at the Stadium of Light and he will hope to make life uncomfortable for his former side once again. Will Castle12 September 2026 18:30Good eveningHello there and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Arsenal’s trip to Sunderland in the Premier League.We’ll bring you all the latest team news, build-up and match action from the Stadium of Light.Will Castle12 September 2026 18:00