Sunderland 1-4 Arsenal: Olivier Giroud helps the Gunners move to the top of the Premier League

Full-time: Sunderland 1-4 Arsenal

All over at the Stadium of Light! Arsenal were nearly as good as Sunderland were bad.

Anyway, now follow the 3pm kick-offs with us here. Until next time...

Sunderland fans are pouring out of the stadium - and you can't blame them. 4-1 is no giant exaggeration of Arsenal's dominance.

Three minutes of time are being added.

Aaron Ramsey has come on for the Gunners, making his long-awaited return from injury. Arsenal are pushing for more goals, too.

GOAL: Sunderland 1-4 Arsenal (Sanchez)

What. A. Collapse.

Sanchez makes it four for the Gunners, walking the ball into the net after collecting Gibbs' shot that rebounded off the post.

David Moyes looks like a broken man. Any more goals? Let's see...

GOAL: Sunderland 1-3 Arsenal (Giroud)

All over now! Giroud is the hero for the Gunners, heading a looping effort from a corner into the side-netting.

Three points to the Gunners and they will fancy one or two more before leaving the north-east.

GOAL: Sunderland 1-2 Arsenal (Giroud)

Olivier Giroud is Arsenal's supersub! The Frenchman - who has only just come on - converts Kieran Gibbs' cross to give the Gunners the lead, again.

Back to the drawing board for the hosts.

Adnan Januzaj comes on for Steven Pienaar, who is carrying a booking to his name. Meanwhile, Olivier Giroud is coming on for Arsenal.

Cech has been booked for his obvious trip on Duncan Watmore.

GOAL: Sunderland 1-1 Arsenal (Defoe)

Defoe calmly finds the net! Strokes it in the opposite side to Cech and somehow, Sunderland are level.

Arsene Wenger will be livid, especially after his team had a similarly good penalty appeal waved away.

Penalty for Sunderland!

Watmore races through and is tripped by Cech as he goes to round the keeper. A solid decision this time.

Defoe lines it up...

Sanchez is pulled back in the box by Kone and Arsenal look for a penalty. Nothing doing.

On second viewing, that was a certain penalty.

Less than 30 minutes to go at the Stadium of Light now, and I fancy it's time David Moyes rolled the dice. Anichebe is going through some stretches.

Oxlade-Chamberlain drags a decent chance wide of the post with his right foot. Not good, that.

But the longer this game goes on at 1-0, the more the Gunners will start to feel anxious. They should be out of sight by now.

Rodwell commits a foul and then boots the ball away, as they say in the school yard. He's lucky not to be booked for that.

But the pattern of the game has barely changed in this second period. I don't think it's a question of effort, just a distinct lack of quality in the Sunderland ranks. I wonder if we'll see Adnan Januzaj at some stage.

Alexis Sanchez is fouled again and it's fair to say that the silky Chilean is getting pretty sick of the rough treatment he's getting this afternoon. I don't blame him, either.

The crowd at the Stadium of Light are craving a sign, any sign, of encouragement. A shot, a tackle ... anything.

Ready for the second period, then? Sunderland fans will be hoping for much, much better.

No changes at the break - and here we go.

Half-time: Sunderland 0-1 Arsenal

It's about as one-sided a 1-0 lead will ever be, in all honesty. Arsenal have been miles better than the hosts, without creating lots of clear-cut chances. Still, there's more goals to be had in the second half.

Back for more in a bit.

Two minutes of time added at the end of the half. Time for another goal?

The home fans are getting a bit restless. It's understandable, too, because there's no energy or dynamism in their performance.

After a lucky escape earlier, Pienaar is booked for a late tackle. He can't have any complaints - and becomes the third Sunderland player to be cautioned.

To make matters worse, John O'Shea appears to have a hamstring injury and he has been replaced by Papy Djilobodji. The hosts are in danger of coming apart at the seams this afternoon.

Ah, Mesut Ozil has spurned a golden chance for the Gunners! The German latches onto a dinked through pass but cannot quite lob the onrushing Pickford in goal for Sunderland.

Less than ten minutes until the break and still, there's a lack of intensity and belief in the Sunderland performances. They're just standing off Arsenal too much - and are, therefore, being given the runaround.

Kieran Gibbs is trying to emulate Bellerin on his own flank, but gets his cross wrong and Sunderland are able to clear the ball. It's telling, though, that Arsenal's fullbacks are pushed so far on.

The bookings are already starting to add up for the hosts.

Ozil is tripped on the edge of the Sunderland box, meaning Arsenal are awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position. Alexis is stood over it ... but no, he's got that all wrong and David Moyes can relax for a moment.

Sanchez launches a counter-attack and is cynically hacked to ground by Pienaar. How has he escaped a booking there? I've no idea. That was blatant.

Sunderland have the ball in the net but it won't count. Defoe was miles offside before he poked the ball home.

Up the other end, meanwhile, Sanchez has struck an effort just over the top from distance.

A minute later, Sunderland almost hit back through Patrick van Aanholt, but his left-footed free-kick drifts just wide of the post. That's the first sign of encouragement from the home team, though.

GOAL: Sunderland 0-1 Arsenal (Sanchez)

And there it is! Almost comically predictable!

Oxlade-Chamberlain bursts down the right side and delivers a pin-point cross, which Sanchez cushions into the top corner. Brilliant from the Gunners, that.

There's a fair bit of huff and puff from Sunderland in the opening minutes - but not much else, to be honest.

Feels like a matter of time until Arsenal score.

The best chance of the game, this, and unsurprisingly, Alexis and Ozil are at the hub of it. The Chilean chipped the ball into the World Cup-winning German's path, but his effort lacks power and is easily saved by Pickford.

Hector Bellerin, by the way, is virtually playing as a right-winger in the opening minutes.

More decent stuff from the Gunners, moving the ball from side to side with one and two-touch passing. There's an obvious gulf in class between these sides - which I guess we knew beforehand.

Anyway, Sunderland have survived the latest little spell of pressure, defending back-to-back corners competently.

Pienaar is caught a little late, but it looks like he'll be able to continue. Yep, he seems fine enough. On we go...

Arsenal have settled into the game very well, passing the ball around confidently without creating anything of note. Sunderland cannot afford to stand off the Gunners.

Well, just as I type that, Bellerin is given too much space and is allowed to swing in a cross from the right flank that is deflected behind.

Alexis closes down a clearance from Pickford with his hands and is lucky to escape a booking. His hands were well above his head and the Chilean ought to have gone into the book.

Some fans are still taking their seats but here we go...

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports just before kick-off: "It's a good opportunity for us because we start today and it is good to play before everyone else, but only if you win.

"We have to find enough resources and solutions to solve the problem we face. We have to play at a pace and sharpness that gives them problems."

The teams are in the tunnel and here they come. Sunderland are in their traditional colours and Arsenal in their yellow number.

Arsenal have lost just one of their last 25 Premier League matches against Sunderland. So what hope have the hosts got? Logic would suggest not a lot - but the Gunners are prone to the occasional collapse, so you never know.

Right, the players are going through their last-minute preparations for the game. For Arsenal, nothing less than three points will do this evening. This is a great chance to leapfrog to the top of the league.

For Sunderland, meanwhile, a draw would be a more-than-decent result. But Mackems fans will be hoping, rather than expecting, a good performance.

An interesting line from this week...

Thierry Henry doubts whether Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will ever take charge of England. The 67-year-old Frenchman has been strongly linked with the Three Lions role since Sam Allardyce's abrupt departure following a newspaper sting – but Henry believes Wenger is too hands-on for the job.

"You can never say never, but I don't see it happening," Henry told AFP of reports linking the Arsenal manager with the England role. "I said recently that Arsene likes being on the pitch on a daily basis, and that's not the case when you coach a national team."

Breaking team news

No Walcott for Arsenal, but Ramsey is on the bench for the Gunners. Defoe will, of course, provide the main threat for the hosts.

Sunderland: Pickford, Jones, Kone, O'Shea, Van Aanholt, Watmore, Rodwell, Ndong, Pienaar, Khazri, Defoe.

Subs: Djilobodji, Mika, Manquillo, Love, Anichebe, Januzaj, Gooch.

Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Gibbs, Elneny, Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Iwobi, Sanchez.

Subs: Gabriel, Ramsey, Giroud, Ospina, Holding, Jenkinson, Maitland-Niles

Ready for the team news, then?

As a reminder, Arsenal summer signing Lucas Perez is set to be out of action until December after damaging the ligaments of his left ankle during the 2-0 EFL Cup fourth-round victory over Reading.

To read more on the Spaniard's injury, click here.

Pre-match thoughts

Arsene Wenger: "We have a good solidarity, we play away from home with a full desire to win the games and we've improved our defensive quality as well.

"But it's in question every time - we have a tricky early game tomorrow and we have to be inspired by what we have realised until now, and continue to improve. The pressure is on every week on everybody. It is very tight at the top - two points difference between five teams - so every game of course becomes important."

Pre-match thoughts

David Moyes: "Arsenal were strong last year and they've been contenders for the Premier League for many years. They are strong again this year. We want the fans in full voice but what we do on the pitch will determine that so we need to get them off their seats.

"The one thing that hasn't changed is that we go away to every ground and fill it with our own supporters. We have got nearly 45,000 at the game, so the people of Sunderland continue to support their team whether it be home or away, and that tells you about the size of the club."

Preview

Arsenal have troubles of their own, with Lucas Perez ruled out until December following an injury in their EFL Cup clash against Reading. What's more, Theo Walcott, Nacho Monreal and Santi Cazorla will also face fitness tests ahead of the fixture.

But Arsenal have gone unbeaten in their last 13 games in all competitions and need a win to keep the pressure going at the top, where they are only behind Manchester City on goal difference.

Preview

Sunderland have a host of injury problems to deal with and David Moyes will be hoping that Adnan Januzaj and Jason Denayer pass a fitness test before the fixture.

Elsewhere, Sebastian Larsson, Vito Mannone, Fabio Borini and Jan Kirchhoff are ruled out, while midfielder Lee Cattermole is a doubt.

But Sunderland have a woeful record against the north London club, having won only once in their last 25 meetings.

Good morning and welcome to IBTimes UK's live coverage of the early kick-off in the Premier League, Sunderland vs Arsenal.

A clash of two teams with contrasting styles and ambitions - but one that is well worth following.

Stay tuned for all the pre-match build-up and team news.