Sunderland returns to the Stadium of Light on Saturday to recover from an “embarrassing” FA Cup exit and aim for a stronger position in the Premier League.
The Black Cats achieved the important 40-point mark earlier this month with a hard-fought 1–0 win over Leeds United. However, a surprising fifth-round loss to League One team Port Vale has overshadowed the recent success.
Captain Granit Xhaka has urged his team to remain “humble” as they work to regain their early-season form. Although Sunderland has lost their last two home league games, they have a strong track record against Brighton, winning their last five home matches against the Seagulls.
Brighton arrives after a narrow 1–0 loss to league leaders Arsenal, despite controlling 60% of the possession without scoring. Recently, the Seagulls have struggled offensively, recording the fewest goals (30) in the league since early December.
Though sitting in 14th place, Brighton has not lost in their last 11 league matches against promoted teams and will aim to end their poor record at Tyneside, seeking only their second league win over Sunderland in the last 20 years.
Sunderland vs Brighton – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday, 14 March 2026
- Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
- Venue: Stadium of Light, Sunderland
- Referee: Thomas Kirk
- VAR: John Brooks
- Last Meeting: Brighton 0–0 Sunderland (20 Dec 2025, Premier League)
Team News
Sunderland
Régis Le Bris hopes that Brian Brobbey and Dennis Cirkin can join the matchday squad after completing full training this week. However, Bertrand Traoré will be out for up to eight weeks due to a knee injury. Nordi Mukiele, Reinildo Mandava, and Robin Roefs also remain unavailable. On the plus side, Trai Hume and Noah Sadiki are back after suspensions.
Brighton
Fabian Hürzeler will assess captain Lewis Dunk (knee) and winger Kaoru Mitoma (ankle) before the match. If Dunk cannot play, Olivier Boscagli is likely to partner Jan Paul van Hecke in defense. Yankuba Minteh is expected to start on the wing, while Danny Welbeck and Georginio Rutter will compete for the striker position. Stefanos Tzimas and Adam Webster remain long-term injuries.
Form
Sunderland
Sunderland has had issues finishing in 2026, scoring only 10 goals in the Premier League this year. Notably, center-back Dan Ballard has made 64 touches in the opponent’s box this season, more than any other player, indicating a threat from set-pieces. Defensively, they have achieved nine clean sheets, bettered only by four other teams.
Brighton
Brighton’s recent matches have been tight; they have not scored or conceded more than twice in their last 15 Premier League games. The key player remains Yankuba Minteh, with 61 carries into the penalty area this season, ranking second 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?
The match will not be broadcast live in the UK due to the Saturday 3:00 p.m. blackout.
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