After a long summer of signings and speculation, the Premier League season is finally upon us. For the first time since Swansea beat the Mackems 2-0 on the 13th May 2017, the Stadium of Light will host a top-flight fixture, in front of an already sold-out home crowd.
We're back in @PremierLeague action this week š
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) August 11, 2025
š #SUNWHU pic.twitter.com/EEu2jCTrZF
The New Signings
Sunderland has welcomed 11 new signings to the club over the summer, spending an estimated ā¬153 million, according to Transfermarkt. Some of the most impactful signings include: the club record-breaking ā¬31.5 million deal for Habib Diarra, and the ā¬15 million signing of Bayer Leverkusen captain Granit Xhaka.
After the signing of Omar Alderete, Sunderland now move to 2nd on the list of the most money spent by clubs promoted to the Premier League š¤ Will they beat the drop? pic.twitter.com/y4ealQopvB
— Transfermarkt.co.uk (@TMuk_news) August 12, 2025
How will the Wearsiders line up?
The integration of the new additions to the club will be intriguing, as the preseason campaign didn't seem to ever reveal a full-strength side for Regis Le Bris. However, this is how I predict Sunderland will line up against West Ham United on Saturday.
Sunderland's players on the bench, such as Noah Sadiki, Luke O'Nien, Dan Neil, Chris Rigg, Patrick Roberts, Eliezer Mayenda, and Wilson Isidor, will be looking to provide a big impact. The striker position remains the largest question mark for me, regarding who would start. However, as I understand, there is a reported penalty in Marc Guiu's loan deal from Chelsea regarding his usage, so I imagine he will get the nod to start more often than not.
The Opposition
West Ham United have had a somewhat quiet summer, retaining Graham Potter in the London Stadium dugout for the upcoming season. The big signings of Mads Hermansen and El Hadji Malick Diouf, along with the permanent return of Jean-Clair Todibo, will certainly make a big impact in their squad, along with the free agent pick-ups of Callum Wilson and Kyle Walker-Peters.
Without extensive knowledge of their squad, with a pinch of salt, this is how I predict they may line up at the Stadium of Light.
The Match
Sunderland will be looking to start strong in front of a raucous home crowd, and I predict an early phase of attacks from the Black Cats to capitalise upon this, using the fans as a 12th man and showing the rest of the Premier League that they mean business upon their return. However, I predict the top-flight experience of the West Ham squad will bring them back into the match, ending in a draw. A result that is nothing to be sniffed at for the Wearsiders.
