Arsenal arrive at the Stadium of Light with a clear sense of purpose and a growing confidence in their squad depth.

All eyes are on former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka, who plays against the Gunners in a competitive game for the first time since his departure two years ago.

It already looks as if the three promoted sides, as has been the trend, won't be going straight back down.

There is still, in some quarters, a tendency to belittle Arsenal, to imagine that gravity will ultimately catch up with them as it did when a young team fell away in the final weeks of the 2022-23 ca...