Brentford vs Sunderland Premier League preview, team news and prediction

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Two of the Premier League’s unexpected European hopefuls go head-to-head on Wednesday, as Brentford host Sunderland at the Gtech Community Stadium. The Bees are aiming to secure their fourth win in five matches, while the Black Cats are still searching for their first victory of 2026.

Brentford, under Keith Andrews, were widely tipped for relegation at the start of the season following the departure of former manager Thomas Frank to Tottenham Hotspur, along with star forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa to Manchester United and Newcastle United, respectively. Despite these setbacks, Andrews has excelled in his first season as a senior manager, turning Brentford into genuine contenders for European qualification.

On Sunday, Brentford produced an emphatic 4-2 win over Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, highlighted by a hat-trick from Igor Thiago, who currently sits as the Premier League’s second-highest scorer. That result lifted Andrews’s side to seventh in the table, just one point behind fifth-placed Chelsea and four points adrift of Liverpool in fourth.

With the top five within reach, Brentford will be buoyed by their strong home form, having recorded four wins and two draws from their last six matches at the Gtech, and suffering just one defeat at home in the 2025-26 campaign.

Meanwhile, Sunderland have enjoyed a remarkable return to the top flight under Regis Le Bris. While survival may have been the initial target, the Black Cats have set their sights much higher as the season progresses. They come into this fixture sitting eighth in the table, level on 30 points with Brentford, and riding a five-game unbeaten streak.

However, Sunderland’s recent outings have highlighted their attacking struggles, with just two goals scored in their last four matches. Their most recent result was a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, secured by a late equaliser from Brian Brobbey, marking their fourth consecutive draw.

Eager to return to winning ways, Sunderland fans will travel with tempered expectations, as their team has managed just two away victories this season—a 2-1 triumph over Chelsea in October and a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in September.

Brentford will be without their record signing, Dango Ouattara, for the midweek fixture as the winger is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty. As a result, Kevin Schade, Mikkel Damsgaard, and Mathias Jensen are expected to provide support for Igor Thiago in attack. In midfield, defensive anchor Frank Onyeka is also representing his country at AFCON, while Josh Dasilva remains sidelined with injury and isn’t expected back until next month. This should see Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt feature in the starting lineup.

Sunderland, meanwhile, are missing six players to AFCON, including midfielders Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki. This could see captain Granit Xhaka partnered by the versatile Lutsharel Geertruida in the heart of midfield. In attack, Bertrand Traore and Chemsdine Talbi are also away on international duty, and striker Wilson Isidor is a doubt due to a knock. As a result, Eliezer Mayenda and Simon Adingra are likely to flank centre-forward Brian Brobbey.

Defensively, Sunderland are particularly short on the left, with Arthur Masuaku and Reinildo Mandava both at AFCON and Aji Alese out with a shoulder injury. Dennis Cirkin is expected to start in their absence.

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