Sunderland - Fulham live - Football

Sunderland take on Fulham in Matchday 2 of the 2026/27 Premier League season, with both sides arriving at the Stadium of Light on the back of opening-weekend defeats. The 69th meeting between these two historic clubs sees the Black Cats looking to launch their home campaign, while Fulham, under new manager Álvaro Arbeloa, are equally desperate for their first points of the season. In the all-time head-to-head, Sunderland hold the edge with 26 wins to Fulham's 22, though Fulham have won the last two league encounters between the sides.

Match Info: Sunderland vs Fulham

The clash between Sunderland and Fulham kicks off on Sunday, 30 August 2026 at 14:00 BST (13:00 UTC) at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, in the second round of the 2026/27 Premier League season.

Where to Watch Sunderland vs Fulham?

UK and Irish viewers can watch Sunderland vs Fulham live via Sky Sports+. This is the primary digital platform for the match in the British Isles, providing full live streaming access to Premier League fixtures.

Fans in the USA can follow the action through Fubo TV, with a TV broadcast also available on NBCSN. Canadian supporters have DAZN and fuboTV Canada to choose from. In Australia, the match is streamed live on Stan Sport, while viewers in India can catch it on JioHotstar. South Korean fans can watch via Coupang Play, and Japanese viewers on U-Next.

Across Europe, Sky Go Deutschland and WOW serve German fans, with Sky Sport 7/HD also broadcasting on TV - a channel shared with Austria. Spanish supporters have DAZN España and Movistar+ online, alongside DAZN2 on television. France has myCanal for streaming and Canal+ Live 3 on TV. Scandinavian viewers are covered by Viaplay in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, while the Baltic states can watch via Go3 or Setanta Sports 2. Polish fans have CANAL+ online and CANAL+ Extra 5 on TV.

Match between Sunderland and Fulham - Preview

Both sides head into Sunday's meeting with identical records - one defeat each - after disappointing opening weekends. The fixture at the Stadium of Light carries real significance: Sunderland are embarking on their first European campaign in over fifty years, while Fulham begin a new era under Álvaro Arbeloa.

Sunderland finished the 2025/26 Premier League season in 7th place with 54 points, a remarkable achievement that secured Europa League football for the first time in the club's history via a league position - and their first European competition since 1973-74. The new campaign, however, got off to a painful start at Portman Road, where Ipswich Town came from behind to beat the Black Cats 2-1, with Jack Clarke's 90th-minute winner proving decisive after Nilson Angulo had equalised with a superb free-kick. Back at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland will be counting on home support to spark their first victory of the season.

Fulham arrive at a crossroads. After five years at the helm, Marco Silva left Craven Cottage for Benfica in the summer, and Álvaro Arbeloa - fresh from eliminating Manchester City across two legs in the Champions League while at Real Madrid - stepped in on a three-year deal. His Premier League debut ended in a 2-3 home defeat to Chelsea, a high-scoring opener in which Josh King and Gonzalo García scored for Fulham, but Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers, and Cole Palmer proved too much to handle. The Cottagers need a response, and they need it at one of the tougher away venues in the division.

Head-to-Head: Sunderland vs Fulham

Sunderland and Fulham have faced each other 68 times across all competitions since January 1935, making Sunday's fixture the 69th meeting between the clubs. The Black Cats' all-time lead of 26 wins to 22 masks a Premier League-era story that goes firmly Fulham's way - 10 wins to Sunderland's 5 in their 22 top-flight encounters since 1992-93.

Their most recent meetings:

• 22 February 2026 - Premier League - Sunderland 1-3 Fulham
• 22 November 2025 - Premier League - Fulham 1-0 Sunderland
• 8 February 2023 - FA Cup - Sunderland 2-3 Fulham
• 28 January 2023 - FA Cup - Fulham 1-1 Sunderland
• 27 April 2018 - Championship - Fulham 2-1 Sunderland
• 16 December 2017 - Championship - Sunderland 1-0 Fulham

Sunderland - Recent Form

After a 2025/26 season that exceeded all expectations - 7th place, 54 points, and historic Europa League qualification - Sunderland's new campaign opened with a frustrating defeat that underlined the step up they face.

At Portman Road, the Black Cats conceded first when Emersonn converted an Enciso cross to give promoted Ipswich the lead. Sunderland responded with real quality: Nilson Angulo curled in a free-kick to restore parity, and for long spells the match was evenly poised. But with seconds of normal time remaining, former Sunderland winger Jack Clarke drilled in the winner to give Ipswich a 2-1 opening-day victory. It was a hard lesson in the fine margins of the Premier League, and the Stadium of Light crowd will be expecting a sharper collective effort this Sunday against Fulham.

Fulham - Recent Form

The Cottagers enter 2026/27 in transition, with a new manager, a new identity, and - after their opening-day display - a clear need to tighten up defensively before the season properly takes shape.

Álvaro Arbeloa's first Premier League match ended in a breathless 2-3 home defeat to Chelsea. The football was entertaining but costly at the back: Joao Pedro scored in the very first minute of the match, Morgan Rogers added a second before the break, and Cole Palmer converted a third shortly after half-time. Josh King pulled one back for Fulham, and Gonzalo García netted a second, but the Cottagers ultimately paid for the defensive lapses that Chelsea punished with precision. Fulham finished 11th in 2025/26 with 52 points, and the question for Arbeloa is whether he can tighten the team's defensive shape without sacrificing the attacking intent that has made them watchable in recent seasons.

Facts and Statistics

Sunderland and Fulham share one of English football's longer-running rivalries, with their first competitive meeting in January 1935 and 68 appearances in each other's history spread across the top four divisions of the English game. Sunday's fixture at the Stadium of Light adds another chapter to a history full of shifting fortunes.

• Sunderland lead the all-time head-to-head with 26 wins to Fulham's 22, with 20 draws from 68 matches across all competitions.
• In Premier League meetings specifically, Fulham lead with 10 wins in 22 fixtures, compared to Sunderland's 5.
• Fulham have won the last 2 Premier League encounters: 1-0 in November 2025 and 3-1 at the Stadium of Light in February 2026.
• Sunderland's 7th-place finish in 2025/26 earned the club its first-ever Europa League qualification via league position - their first European competition since 1973-74.
• Both teams lost on Matchday 1 of the 2026/27 season: Sunderland fell 1-2 to Ipswich, and Fulham lost 2-3 to Chelsea.