Sunderland will aim to get back to winning ways following a recent setback when they host bottom-placed Wolves, who are looking for their first Premier League win this term.

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris will have wanted a better performance at the weekend before the international break, when his side had the momentum heading to Old Trafford; he will be eager to get back on track against Wolves on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Manchester United won the aforementioned clash to ease sum pressure on Ruben Amorim. However, Sunderland lost a bit of momentum after being unbeaten in their four games before the visit to Old Trafford. Le Bris will be pleased with the results in this season so far, especially given how newly promoted teams have fared over the last two seasons in the top flight.

There is a big question of ambition and performance in the Premier League that will dictate the long-term future of teams like Sunderland. Their manager will certainly look at the squad and think they are probably good enough to make it into one of the European spots or finish comfortably in mid-table. They have the perfect chance to prove their worth by winning against a Wolves side in some trouble.

The season is long, and there is plenty of time to turn things around, or at least that is what Vitor Pereira will be thinking at the moment with regards to his team and their performances. Wolves are still searching for their first win of the Premier League season, but they have been improving with their displays.

Having lost their first five games of the season, there were serious questions asked of the club that chose to hand Pereira a new deal in the middle of the melee. The confidence in the manager stems from the fact that he was instrumental in digging Wolves out of the hole last season when they seemed primed for relegation, but they ended up finishing comfortably outside of the danger zone.

After losing their first five games in a row in the top flight, Wolves have since managed two draws against Tottenham and then Brighton & Hove Albion. There have been encouraging signs of improvement from Pereira’s side, and the manager will know that the ultimate momentum will only be achieved once they post their first win of the campaign.

Team News & Tactics

Sunderland

Regis Le Bris has a few key concerns with injuries with quintet Habib Diarra, Romaine Mundle, Dennis Cirkin, Aji Alese, and Leo Hjelde all missing out with injury issues. Reinildo Mandava will serve the final game of his three-game ban and misses out on this home clash.

Furthermore, Omar Alderete and Noah Sadiki are under considerable doubt for this clash after picking up issues during the international break, but the manager insisted their participation at the weekend is still possible.

Daniel Ballard could reclaim his place at the heart of the defence if Alderete is deemed unfit for this clash, which might be a big possibility. Granit Xhaka will continue to assume the role of the main man at Sunderland, as he marshals the midfield setup alongside the doubtful Sadiki.

Without the latter, Le Bris could change the setup in a way that accommodates Chris Rigg and Enzo Le Fee. Chemsdine Talbi will probably assume a role in the front three from the right-hand side, while Wilson Isidor and Simon Adingra will complete the attacking setup for Sunderland.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Roefs; Hume, Mukiele, Ballard, Masuaku; Rigg, Xhaka, Le Fee; Talbi, Isidor, Adingra

Wolves

Matt Doherty is the only major absentee at the moment for Wolves after the defender underwent surgery on his wrist. He joins Leon Chiwome in the treatment room, although on the positive side, Vitor Pereira will probably have defender Toti Gomes back in contention after a bout of illness in recent weeks.

Pereira must tinker well with his options in the squad and put forward the best version that he feels could win the game against Sunderland. The one major difference in Pereira’s system over the last three games that Wolves have not been defeated in is the switch to a back four.

Hence, the manager is likely to stick to that style with Jackson Tchatchoua, Santiago Bueno, Ladislav Krejci and Hugo Bueno likely to feature in the backline. The back four setup also brings about changes in midfield and the attacking third, with Pereira likely to play a 4-3-3 shape, with Joao Gomes set to assume the holding midfield role, while Marshall Munetsi and Andre will line up on either side of him.

Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has not scored in five games he has played so far, will be eager to get off the mark, and he will be supported by Hwang Hee-chan and Jhon Arias on either side of the front three.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Johnstone; Tchatchoua, S. Bueno, Krejci, H. Bueno; Munetsi, J. Gomes, Andre; Arias, Strand Larsen, Hwang

Key Stats

• Sunderland have kept a clean sheet in their last three matches against Wolves in all competitions.
• Sunderland are unbeaten in the Premier League on home soil this season.
• Wolves have failed to win their last 11 matches in the Premier League.
• Wolves are yet to win a single game this season in the Premier League.
• Wolves have gone 1-0 up in their last three Premier League games but failed to win all three (D2 L1). On only eight occasions has a side scored the opener in 4+ consecutive matches in the competition without winning any, most recently Tottenham Hotspur doing so five games running in November/December 2023.

Player to Watch

Jorgen Strand Larsen

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Strand Larsen was one of the topics of discussion around the summer window as Newcastle United were keen to sign him, but Wolves were adamant about keeping him. Once the window shut, it was a matter of showing why his club were keen to keep him. But so far, Strand Larsen has not been able to prove a point.

However, this tricky away trip to Sunderland could be a turning point for the striker this season, as a key performance at the Stadium of Light could prove pivotal for both the player and his club. Hence, he needs a goal first and foremost, but more importantly, a performance that would help Wolves register their first win of the Premier League campaign.

Prediction

Sunderland 2-1 Wolves

Wolves have shown a bit of character under Vitor Pereira over the last two games in the Premier League, particularly away at Spurs, where they came very close to collecting their first win after a resilient performance. The manager will hope for a similar display away at Sunderland, but the momentum with Regis Le Bris’s men will prove key in this clash.

Sunderland are unbeaten at home so far this season, and their fans are in a good vein of form to support their team at this stage of the season. Le Bris also has the right quality of players despite the raft of injuries heading into the weekend. Sunderland could edge Wolves out of this clash by a slender margin, which could leave the latter waiting for their first win of the season.