Saturday 29 October 2016 14:38, UK
A three-goal defeat to Arsenal on Saturday would condemn Sunderland to the worst-ever start to a Premier League season after 10 games.
The struggling Black Cats are bottom of the table with just two points from their first nine games, with a goal difference of -10.
They come up against an Arsenal side tied on points with league leaders Manchester City live on Sky Sports on Saturday - and a heavy loss at the Stadium of Light would hand David Moyes' men an unwanted record.
They currently have one of the worst records from the first nine games of a Premier League season. Sheffield Wednesday (1999/00) and Manchester City (1995/96) had just one point at this stage of their respective nightmare campaigns, while Southampton had two points and a -18 goal difference in 1998/99.
However, 10 games into a Premier League season, City are the only club ever to have had just two points - and they were eventually relegated at the end of the 1995/96 season.
Sunderland know just what it takes to turn around a bad start. After all, they went winless in their first nine games last season too - they are the first team for 111 years to not win any of their opening nine games in the top flight in consecutive seasons - before beating rivals Newcastle 3-0 and eventually going on to stay up. However, they did have three points at this stage in 2015/16.
The longest winless run at the start of a Premier League season belongs to Queens Park Rangers, who took 17 games to record a victory in 2012/13. They eventually beat Fulham 2-1 on 15 December, 2012, but finished bottom of the league and were relegated.
Moyes will be hoping his side get back to winning ways well before that point - and an upset win over high-flying Arsenal would be the perfect way to relieve the pressure.
