Sunderland — Wolverhampton Wanderers : Match Preview and Prediction for October 18,2025

Sunderland has emerged as one of the most delightful surprises in the opening rounds of the new season. The ‘Black Cats’ only secured their return to the top flight via the playoffs, but a shrewd and effective transfer campaign to bolster their squad has seen them settle comfortably in the middle of the table, currently occupying 9th place.They were actually positioned even higher until a 0-2 defeat at Old Trafford against Manchester United just before the international break. However, at their home ground, the Stadium of Light, Xhaka and his teammates have been in superb form, securing two wins and a draw in their three home fixtures. For the clash against Wolverhampton, Sunderland will be without Alderete, the suspended Mandava, as well as Alese, Sirkin, Diarra, and Mandl.

Wolverhampton Wanderers, much like the previous season, has endured a dismal start to the current campaign. The ‘Wolves’ currently anchor the bottom of the league table, still searching for their first victory after seven rounds of fixtures. Points for Vitor Pereira’s squad only began to materialize after their sixth match, a creditable 1-1 draw away against Tottenham. However, just before the international break, they couldn’t hold on at home against a resilient Brighton, conceding an equalizer in the dying moments of the game for another 1-1 draw.While the ‘Orange and Blacks’ seemed to be showing signs of improvement, the international break appears to have disrupted their momentum at an inopportune time. Furthermore, for their visit to Sunderland, the team will be without their Portuguese head coach on the touchline due to a red card suspension from the previous fixture. In addition to the manager, Wolves will also miss Chivome and Doherty due to injuries or other absences.