Burnley vs Sunderland Prediction & Picks - Premier League

Prediction published on 8/23/25, 6:29 AM  by Erik Gibbs | Modified on 8/23/25 at 12:05 PM in Premier League Picks

Burnley and Sunderland meet on the pitch this Saturday. This match is a clash of newly promoted sides. Burnley won the Championship last season and have Premier League experience under manager Vincent Kompany. Sunderland earned promotion via playoffs, led by former Burnley coach Tony Mowbray. The contrasting results in Week 1 highlight their differing trajectories.

Burnley lost 3-0 at Tottenham on August 16, showing they were outclassed by the likes of Richarlison and Brennan Johnson. While Burnley competed respectably at times, they ultimately lacked firepower and defensive cohesion away to Spurs. That night, Owen Dodgson and Lyle Foster had chances but failed to score.

In friendlies they had ended May with mixed results, so confidence might be low. Burnley’s squad includes seasoned keeper Martin Dúbravka, attacking winger Lyle Foster, and midfield presence from Josh Laurent. Foster (ex-Norwich) in particular was a Championship star and will need to be dangerous again for Burnley to threaten opponents. They will hope that returning to Turf Moor (their strong fortress) reignites form.

Sunderland, by contrast, enjoyed a fairy-tale start. In their opener they thumped West Ham 3-0 at home, with goals from Eliezer Mayenda, Simon Adingra, and Jack Clarke (via penalty). Sunderland’s league form is now 1-0-0 with 3 points, the same as Tottenham and Spurs, and much of the credit goes to strong midfield work (Cormack and Brady stepping up) and second-half impact.

The Black Cats have momentum and belief. Their key players include Mayenda (a physical striker who scored twice on debut), Trai Hume (dynamic left back involved in attack), and defender Dan Ballard, who scored the second goal. Also watch midfielder Sam Greenwood, who had a great season last year but hasn't scored yet. Sunderland have shown they can compete at this level.