Sunderland host Fulham at the Stadium of Light on Sunday 30 August, with kick-off at 2:00pm BST, as both sides look to claim their first Premier League points of the 2026/27 campaign after suffering defeats on the opening weekend.

What happened on matchday one

Sunderland fell to a 2-1 loss at Ipswich Town last Saturday, conceding a last-minute winner to leave the North East club empty-handed. Despite that setback, manager Regis Le Bris will draw confidence from a formidable home record — his side lost just four times at the Stadium of Light during their seventh-place finish last season.

Fulham endured a difficult start under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa, losing 3-2 to West London rivals Chelsea in his first competitive match in charge. The Cottagers responded three days later, however, beating AFC Wimbledon 3-0 at Craven Cottage in the Carabao Cup — a result that handed Arbeloa his maiden win as Fulham manager.

Reasons for optimism

Arbeloa will have taken encouragement from several individual performances in those two matches. Summer signing Gonzalo Garcia netted twice, Josh King caught the eye against Chelsea, and striker Rodrigo Muniz ended a goal drought stretching back more than a year. Yet the defensive frailties Fulham showed against Chelsea remain a concern ahead of the trip to Wearside.

Sunderland, meanwhile, have been active in the transfer market. The club brought in French defender Dayann Methalie from Toulouse for £25.6 million and signed Royal Antwerp midfielder Jules Ahoka in an £8.6 million deal. Beyond those additions, the starting lineup is expected to closely resemble the one that finished last season, with right-back Thomas Meunier the only summer arrival to have featured from the off against Ipswich.

How to watch

UK viewers can follow the match live on Sky Sports, with coverage beginning ahead of the 2:00pm BST kick-off. Fans in the United States can stream the fixture on Peacock, NBC's streaming platform, at 9:00am ET. Australian supporters can watch on Stan Sport, where kick-off falls at 11:00pm AEST.

Match prediction

Fulham arrive on Wearside having played two matches in the space of five days, while Sunderland enjoyed eight days of preparation since their defeat at Ipswich. That rest advantage, combined with the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light, could prove decisive — with FourFourTwo predicting a 2-1 win for Sunderland.