• Sunderland lost on penalties to League One side Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup

• Brentford's Dango Ouattara scored on his debut against Aston Villa last weekend

• Recommended bet: Draw

Sunderland enjoyed a rousing return to the Premier League, beating West Ham 3-0 on the opening weekend, but the Black Cats have been brought down to earth since then.

A 2-0 defeat at fellow promoted club Burnley was disappointing and a second-string Sunderland side then suffered a penalty-shootout loss to Huddersfield in Tuesday's EFL Cup tie.

Sunderland will fancy their chances of a home win over Brentford, although the Bees have had a pleasing few days, defeating Aston Villa in the league and knocking out Bournemouth in the EFL Cup.

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Team news

Sunderland made 11 changes for Tuesday's EFL Cup tie so Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki should return to the starting line-up. Nordi Mukiele could keep his place as centre-back Dan Ballard (groin) is injured along with Luke O'Nien, Romaine Mundle and Dennis Cirkin.

Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, linked with a move to Newcastle, is a doubt. Centre-back Ethan Pinnock will be assessed but Vitaly Janelt, Paris Maghoma and Gustavo Nunes remain sidelined.

The latest Sunderland vs Brentford odds are available on LiveScore Bet

The stats

None of Sunderland's last 21 games in all competitions have produced over 3.5 goals.

The Black Cats' first two Premier League matches have featured only two yellow cards.

There have been under 2.5 goals in 10 of Sunderland's last 14 matches.

Brentford scored the opening goal in 11 of their 19 Premier League away games last season.

Both teams scored in 11 of Brentford's 16 league victories last term.

The Bees have won five of their last eight league matches.

The latest Sunderland vs Brentford odds are available on LiveScore Bet

Prediction

The early-season fixture list has been relatively kind to Premier League new boys Sunderland, who kicked off their campaign against troubled West Ham and promoted Burnley.

The Black Cats' home form will be vital to their chances of staying in the top flight and, having thumped the Hammers 3-0, they are aiming for another positive display against Brentford.

A 2-0 defeat at Turf Moor took some of the gloss off Sunderland's opening win and the draw looks the best bet when they face the Bees this weekend.

Brentford have had a tumultuous summer, losing manager Thomas Frank, star forward Bryan Mbeumo and captain Christian Norgaard.

Yoane Wissa, who scored 19 league goals last term, could also depart before the transfer deadline but rookie boss Keith Andrews has enjoyed a successful week.

The heat was on Andrews following Brentford's poor performance in their opening 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest but they dug deep to defeat Aston Villa 1-0 last weekend.

Tuesday's 2-0 EFL Cup win at Bournemouth boosted morale, although both managers named much-changed teams, and the Bees can pick up a point on their trip to the north-east.

The Stadium of Light should be buzzing but Brentford, with former Sunderland man Jordan Henderson in midfield, are an experienced top-flight team and should handle the hostile atmosphere.

Sunderland won the Championship play-offs last term despite struggling for goals at the end of the campaign and a low-scoring contest would increase the chances of a draw on Wearside.  

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The latest Sunderland vs Brentford odds are available on LiveScore Bet