Sunderland vs Brighton – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Sunderland return to the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon looking to shake off an “embarrassing” FA Cup exit and reignite their push toward the Premier League’s top half.

The Black Cats reached the vital 40-point milestone earlier this month with a gritty 1–0 victory over Leeds United, but a shock fifth-round defeat to League One side Port Vale has since dampened the mood on Wearside.

Captain Granit Xhaka has called for his side to stay “humble” as they attempt to rediscover their early-season consistency. While Sunderland have lost their last two home league games, they boast a formidable historical record against Saturday’s opponents, having won their last five home meetings with the Seagulls.

Brighton, meanwhile, travel north after a narrow 1–0 defeat to league-leaders Arsenal, a match where Fabian Hürzeler’s side controlled 60% possession but failed to find the net. The Seagulls have become the league’s “cautionary tale” recently; since early December, their matches have seen fewer goals (30) than any other side in the division.

Despite sitting 14th, Brighton remain unbeaten in their last 11 Premier League encounters with promoted clubs. They will be desperate to break their Tyneside hoodoo and secure only their second league win against Sunderland in over two decades.

Sunderland vs Brighton – Match preview and team news

Team News

Sunderland

Régis Le Bris is hopeful that Brian Brobbey and Dennis Cirkin can return to the matchday squad after both completed full training this week. However, the Black Cats will definitely be without Bertrand Traoré, who is sidelined for up to eight weeks with a knee injury. Nordi Mukiele, Reinildo Mandava, and Robin Roefs also remain out. On a positive note, Trai Hume and Noah Sadiki are both available after serving suspensions.

Brighton

Fabian Hürzeler faces a late assessment of captain Lewis Dunk (knee) and star winger Kaoru Mitoma (ankle). If Dunk misses out, Olivier Boscagli is expected to partner Jan Paul van Hecke in central defence. Yankuba Minteh is poised for a recall on the flank, while Danny Welbeck will compete with Georginio Rutter for the starting striker role. Stefanos Tzimas and Adam Webster remain long-term absentees.

Form

Sunderland

The Black Cats have struggled for clinical efficiency in 2026, netting only 10 Premier League goals since the turn of the year. Significantly, centre-back Dan Ballard has recorded 64 touches in the opposition box this term—more than any other Sunderland player—highlighting their threat from set-pieces. Defensively, they have kept nine clean sheets this season, a record bettered by only four teams in the division.

Brighton

Brighton’s matches have been uncharacteristically tight recently; they have neither scored nor conceded more than twice in any of their last 15 Premier League games. A major threat remains Yankuba Minteh, who has made 61 ball carries into the penalty area this season, the second-highest total in the Premier League behind Manchester City’s Jérémy Doku.

Predicted Lineups

Sunderland Predicted XI (4-3-3): Ellborg; Geertruida, Ballard, Alderete, Hume; Xhaka, Sadiki, Diarra; Talbi, Mayenda, Le Fee

Brighton Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Wieffer, Dunk, Van Hecke, Kadioglu; Ayari, Baleba; Gomez, Gross, Minteh; Welbeck

How to Watch Sunderland vs Brighton?

Due to the Saturday 3:00 p.m. broadcast blackout, the match will not be televised live in the United Kingdom.

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