Match Preview: Sunderland v Brentford | OneFootball

Brentford face newly promoted Sunderland at Stadium of Light on Saturday (3pm kick-off BST).

The Bees and the Black Cats have both taken three points from their opening two Premier League games.

Sunderland cruised to a 3-0 win over West Ham United on the opening day and then lost 2-0 at Burnley, while Keith Andrews’ side bounced back from a 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest by beating Aston Villa 1-0 last weekend.

Analysis, team news, match officials and more. Here's everything you need to know before kick-off.

Pre-match Analysis

Stephen Gillett, Playmaker Stats: Brentford fighting for every ball under Andrews

Both Brentford and Sunderland head into Saturday’s clash at Stadium of Light with three points and one Premier League win apiece, and their respective coaches will be eager to iron out wrinkles and refine their tactics to build momentum.

The Black Cats recorded a stunning 3-0 success over West Ham on the opening day of the 2025/26 season, and despite a league setback against Burnley and a cup shock midweek at home to Huddersfield Town, there have been positives to take for head coach Régis Le Bris as the Frenchman beds in a raft of summer signings following promotion from the Championship.

After a busy transfer window, Sunderland could potentially field an entirely new starting XI this season if they wanted to.

They have strengthened across the park, with Habib Diarra, Simon Adingra and Chemsdine Taibi adding athleticism and technique to complement the nous of new captain Granit Xhaka and ex- Atlético Madrid defender Reinildo.

We may only be two games into the Premier League season, but the Mackems' early highlights suggest they will be able to exert control at the higher level and also pose a threat in the final third.

Across the opening matchweeks of the new campaign, only Chelsea, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest have completed more sequences of 10 or more passes than Sunderland (29) and, in this respect, Xhaka's influence in the middle of the park has been obvious.

Set to face off against former Mackem Jordan Henderson this weekend, Xhaka arrived on Wearside from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer and the 32-year-old has already shown his capacity to boss proceedings in midfield.

Currently, Chelsea's Moises Caicedo (130) and Forest's Elliot Anderson (127) are the only two midfielders to complete more accurate passes than Xhaka (125) in the Premier League, and the Switzerland international averages 1.5 key passes per game - more than any other Sunderland player - to illustrate the penetration he offers in possession.

A clinical eye in front of goal is essential for any team wishing to transition successfully to Premier League life and the Black Cats' 32 per cent shot-on-target percentage from their opening two league games is respectable, and encouraging for Le Bris' men.

In the opposite dugout, Brentford boss Keith Andrews will be delighted by his team's outstanding response to defeat against Nottingham Forest in his first game as head coach. A resilient victory at home to Aston Villa last weekend was followed by another gritty win in the Carabao Cup against Bournemouth on Tuesday, and one of the Bees’ primary challenges now is to ally their outstanding numbers out of possession with greater control of the ball.

The stats across Brentford's last two games illustrate that Andrews has instilled real defensive zeal after that Forest defeat, and the Irishman’s charges currently lead the Premier League for overall blocks (60 for shots, crosses and passes combined), as well as tackles and interceptions (64 altogether). These numbers underline a simple truth: Brentford are fighting for every ball.

It is also promising for the Bees that they rank highly in the top flight for tackles won in the attacking third, with nine, and high turnovers (13) - their press among the most aggressive in the division according to PPDA (passes per defensive action) data.

As the Bees have already shown in spades this season, it is more than possible to control games and chalk up victories by dominating without the ball and it will now be fascinating to see how their season evolves with those solid foundations in place.

An average possession share of around 35 per cent across all competitions indicates the extent to which Brentford have ceded possession to their opponents thus far, and this snapshot is supported by the fact that the Bees have taken fewer touches in the middle and attacking thirds than any team in the Premier League this term.

Knowing how to dictate the flow of games at the highest level is an important quality to possess and, in this respect, the aforementioned battle between midfield dynamos Henderson and Xhaka is likely to shape the outcome on Saturday.

Scout Report

Dan Long, Sky Sports: Sunderland’s rollercoaster ride to the Premier League

To sum it up in just a few hundred words would do Sunderland's recent fall and rise a disservice. But one thing is for certain - being a Black Cats fan has been far from boring over the last nine years.

They were relegated from the Premier League in 2017, after a 10-season stay, and went down again in 2017/18, with Netflix's cameras capturing everything behind the scenes for the Sunderland 'Til I Die documentary.

In four seasons in League One, Sunderland reached the play-offs three times, triumphing at the third time of asking by beating Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley in May 2022.

Tony Mowbray guided them to sixth in the Championship in 2022/23, but they lost to Luton Town in the play-off semi-final.

Under three managers - Mowbray, Michael Beale and Mike Dodds - they finished 16th in 2023/24, safe by a margin of just six points.

On 22 June 2024, Régis Le Bris was appointed head coach on a three-year contract. He was a relative unknown and there would have been a few eyebrows raised at the fact his Lorient side had just been relegated from Ligue 1.

"I want us to bring joy to our fans, not only through results, but also through our style of play, and I'm convinced that with commitment and hard work, we can write an exciting new chapter," he told the club's official website.

He set about delivering on his promise straight away. Sunderland shot to the top of the Championship after six wins from their first eight, scoring 16 goals and conceding only six.

They stayed there into November, a month where they did not win a single one of their six league games.

While that stat sounds ominous, it can be flipped, as between the start of October and the end of November, Le Bris' side lost just once.

A 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United on 29 November ended that 10-game unbeaten streak, but from then until the end of the season, they never once dropped below fourth, even after ending the season with a six-game winless streak that Le Bris called "strange".

That was far from ideal form to enter the play-offs, but Eliezer Mayenda struck an 88th-minute winner in the semi-final first leg at Coventry City, Dan Ballard hit a 123rd-minute aggregate winner in the second leg and Tommy Watson scored in the 95th minute against Sheffield United at Wembley to secure promotion with his final action before a move to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Given the tumultuous ride the club had been on in the years leading up to that, the manner of the victories was quite apt.

Now the priority is making sure this stay in the Premier League is not a short one - and chair Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has bankrolled a summer recruitment drive to the reported tune of £160 million as a result.

Enzo Le Fee's loan from Roma has become permanent, Habib Diarra has become the club-record signing and former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka is now Sunderland skipper.

Signing 12 players to date could be seen as a risky approach, as James Hunter spoke about in an interview with us earlier this week, but one they hope will pay off. Nottingham Forest signed many more when they were promoted and remain in the top flight. The inspiration is there.

As for how things have gone on the pitch so far, three goals in just over half an hour at home to West Ham on the opening day understandably caused plenty of excitement, though a subsequent defeat to Burnley and penalty shootout defeat to League One Huddersfield Town in the Carabao Cup has somewhat tempered that.

But if Sunderland can harness the energy of Stadium of Light and make it a fortress, they can prove they are ready to be back in the Premier League for good.

In the Dugout

Régis Le Bris

Régis Le Bris had a pretty low-key playing career as a defender between 1994 and 2003, playing for Rennes and Laval in France and Ronse in neighbouring Belgium. He played for France up to under-17 level, too, and retired at the age of 27.

The Frenchman was a qualified coach by the following year and, in 2006, received his doctorate in sports physiology and biomechanics.

He went on to return to Rennes, where he stayed until 2012 in a coaching capacity, before moving on to Lorient.

He was Les Merlus' head of youth development for three years, then replaced Franck Haise as Lorient B chief.

In 2021/22 - Le Bris' final campaign in charge - he guided the team to second place in the Championnat National 2 - Group A.

Once he had completed his UEFA Pro Licence, he was appointed as the club's first team head coach in June 2022.

Lorient finished 10th in Ligue 1 in 2022/23, but 17th in 2023/24, which resulted in relegation to Ligue 2 after four seasons in the top flight.

Le Bris left the club by mutual consent in June 2024 and signed a three-year deal at Sunderland the very same day.

The Gameplan

With James Hunter, Sunderland columnist for We Are Sunderland

James Hunter, Sunderland columnist for We Are Sunderland, explained how Régis Le Bris is likely to set up his side for Saturday's game against Brentford:

"Régis Le Bris seems to like the 4-3-3 system," said Hunter.

"That seems to be his sort of go-to shape. They like to play a high-tempo style, with a lot of pressing, and it is quite an exciting, front-foot approach. That is what gets fans on board and on side.

"It is not too dissimilar to what you see at Brentford, in that respect, and that is probably the hallmark of this Sunderland team.

"You have got the experience of a Granit Xhaka, but then you have got the legs of the players around him and further up the pitch to do the chasing and to do the closing down. That is probably the best way to sum up what to expect."

Last Premier League starting XI v Burnley (4-3-3): Roefs; Hume, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo; Diarra, Xhaka, Sadiki; Talbi, Mayenda, Adingra

Read our full interview with James Hunter here

Team News

Henderson set for Stadium of Light return

Jordan Henderson, absent for Tuesday’s 2-0 win on the south coast, has trained fully this week.

The midfielder came through the Aston Villa game well and there are no concerns about his fitness.

Vitaly Janelt has rejoined team training. He will continue to train over the coming weeks until he is available for selection.

Gustavo Nunes is progressing well. The forward is back on the grass but not yet ready to train with the squad.

Paris Maghoma completed a positive week of training with the squad. The midfielder still has to build his fitness having missed pre-season training.

Yoane Wissa will not be part of the squad.

Match Officials

Taylor set to officiate Saturday’s clash at Stadium of Light

Referee: Anthony Taylor

Assistants: Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn

Fourth official: Robert Madley

VAR: Darren England

Anthony Taylor will be the man in the middle for Brentford’s visit to Sunderland.

Taylor refereed 48 matches last season, including the Bees’ 2-2 draw with Manchester City in January and our 4-3 win over Manchester United in May.

In total, Taylor showed 164 yellow cards and 12 reds last season.

Last Meeting

Sunderland 0 Brentford 2 (Sky Bet Championship, 17 February 2018)

Kamohelo Mokotjo’s first goal in a Brentford shirt put the Bees on their way to a win over Sunderland in February 2018.

The South African international scored inside the opening 15 minutes, and Neal Maupay made it two soon after.

Those strikes were enough for the Bees to take the points on their first-ever visit to Stadium of Light.