Brentford will aim to continue the unbeaten start to the 2026/27 season, while Sunderland will be eager to build on the win over Fulham last weekend when the two sides clash at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday.
Gameweek 3 of the 2026/27 Premier League season will continue on Saturday with seven games. The action on Saturday kicks off with the game between Newcastle United and Bournemouth at St. James’ Park before continuing with five simultaneous ties, including Brentford vs Sunderland at the Gtech Community Stadium.
After an impressive debut season, Keith Andrews will be eager to secure European qualification in the 2026/27 campaign. To that end, Brentford’s start this term has been solid, as they cruised to a 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in Gameweek 1 before beating Birmingham City 6-1 in the EFL Cup second round. While the Bees dropped points last weekend against Leeds United, they were impressive for large parts of the clash that ended in a 1-1 draw.
On the other hand, Sunderland had to bite the bullet in Gameweek 1 when Ipswich Town sprang a surprise by beating them 2-1 at Portman Road. However, the Wearside outfit bounced back with a 1-0 win over Fulham, with Regis Le Bris’s men showing better rhythm, though room for improvement remains.
The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 3-0 win for Brentford, with Igor Thiago scoring a match-winning brace. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Brentford
Keith Andrews has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Brentford head coach will be bereft of the services of four first-team players vs Sunderland on Saturday.
Sepp van den Berg (groin) is the most notable absentee, with the Dutchman expected to return next month. He accompanies Antoni Milambo (knee), Mathias Jensen (muscular), and Joshua Dasilva (knock) in the treatment room.
Caoimhin Kelleher is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Brentford lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Sunderland on Saturday. The backline will feature Michael Kayode, Kristoffer Ajer, Nathan Collins, and Keane Lewis-Potter.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Mamadou Sangare and Vitaly Janelt, with Mikkel Damsgaard reprising the no. 10 role. Sangare has hit the ground running in the Premier League, and he will pull the strings from the central areas, allowing the three attacking players to flourish. Finally, Igor Thiago will lead the line for Brentford against Sunderland, with Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter; Sangare, Janelt; Ouattara, Damsgaard, Schade; Thiago
Sunderland
Unlike his counterpart in the Brentford dugout, Regis Le Bris has received positive updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to the Gtech Community Stadium. The Sunderland head coach may have a full-strength squad to take on the Bees.
Simon Adingra, recovering from an ankle injury, is reportedly on the verge of joining Ajax. Meanwhile, Dayann Methalie is available after serving a suspension, while Habib Diarra should have recovered from a minor hamstring injury. Le Bris also has a new player at his disposal this weekend, as Malick Fofana arrived at the Stadium of Light on deadline day after a bizarre saga involving Crystal Palace.
Robin Roefs will take his spot between the sticks, with Sunderland lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Brentford on Saturday. The backline will feature Thomas Meunier, Nordi Mukiele, Dan Ballard, and Reinildo Mandava.
As for the midfield unit, Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki will pair up in the double pivot, with the duo aiming to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Enzo Le Fee will reprise the no. 10 role, with Nilson Angulo and Trai Hume being the two wide attackers. Finally, Wilson Isidor should get the nod over Brian Brobbey as the central striker after scoring the match-winning goal against Fulham last week. So, Fofana will make his Sunderland bow off the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Roefs; Meunier, Mukiele, Ballard, Mandava; Xhaka, Sadiki; Hume, Le Fee, Angulo; Isidor
Key Stats
- Brentford are unbeaten in four home games against Sunderland in all competitions (W2 D2) since losing 1-0 in August 1987 in a third-tier meeting. The Black Cats suffered a 3-0 defeat in their most recent Premier League game against Brentford in January; they have never lost consecutive league meetings with the Bees.
- Sunderland have won just eight points in their last 16 away Premier League matches in London (W2 D2 L12), losing their three most recent outings and conceding three goals in each defeat (0-3 vs Brentford, 1-3 vs West Ham United, 0-3 vs Arsenal).
- Brentford have kept five clean sheets in their 11 Premier League home games in 2026, including in three of the last four. That is as many shut-outs as they kept at the Gtech Community Stadium in both 2025 (2) and 2024 (3) combined.
- Of the 17 ever-present clubs since the start of last season, Sunderland have scored the fewest first-half goals, both overall (14) and as a percentage of their total (32%) in the Premier League.
- Since their return to the Premier League last season, Wilson Isidor has scored more goals as a substitute than any other player in the competition (5), with his winner against Fulham last week coming from the bench.
Player to Watch
Igor Thiago
While Kevin Schade, Enzo Le Fee, and Nilson Angulo were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Igor Thiago as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Premier League clash between Brentford and Sunderland at the Gtech Community Stadium.
After finishing behind Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race last season, expectations from the Brazilian are high. However, only Diego Gemez (8) has produced more shots without scoring in the Premier League thus far in the 2026/27 season than Thiago (7). The 25-year-old had the best conversion rate of any player to have 25+ shots in the competition last term (26.2%). So, he has a lot of catching up to do, and if that happens, Brentford can become contenders for a top-five finish.
Prediction
Brentford 2-1 Sunderland
Saturday’s match between Brentford and Sunderland may produce the most eye-catching action if we take a closer look at the numbers these two teams have produced. The Bees, in particular, have shown remarkable attacking intent in the early days of the 2026/27 season, which sets them up well for the upcoming clash in Gameweek 3.
Across their 192 Premier League matches so far, two of Brentford’s top-seven games for shots have been in their two games this term: 26 vs Tottenham Hotspur and 22 vs Leeds United. Only Manchester United (54) have taken more shots than the Bees this season (48).
On the other hand, despite a narrow win over Fulham, Sunderland showed marked improvement in the final third. Regis Le Bris’s men accumulated an xG of 2.02 in their 1-0 victory; across the last two Premier League seasons, only in their victory over Newcastle United in March this year (2.36) have they had a higher xG total.
Such numbers from the two teams point towards a closely contested affair replete with relentless action that will keep the two goalkeepers busy. However, the hosts have better defensive co-ordination, which sets them up for a narrow victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Keith Andrews and his charges.
