- Brentford are the form favourites, having won two, drawn two, and lost one of their last five.
- Sunderland have won two and lost three of their last five.
Chess match in the making
Sunderland's Régis Le Bris has created a structured 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 that builds from the back, plays through the thirds, and transitions quickly when the ball is won. But he still has the players to play a vertical game when the need arises and with Brian Brobbey's spark, the Black Cats have been exciting.
Sunderland have been on a hot and cold streak recently, winning two and losing three of their last five games. The Bees, however, are the stronger side on the books, coming into this clash with two wins, two draws and one defeat from their last five.
Brentford come into this game as the slight favorite, but they have not won their last away game at Sunderland, who could make this an uncomfortable night for the visitors. Keith Andrews has maintained the Bees' press-first identity, who will get bodies forward, overload the wide areas and are always a threat from set-pieces.
Back the goals
Brentford are 53/50 favourites, with Sunderland 23/10 and the draw 5/2. We're happy to take a slight touch of odds-on for goals in this one, as Both Teams To Score: Yes is 13/20 and Over 2.5 goals is 4/5.
Brentford's last five matches are a good indication of the form book's volatility, as they beat Chelsea 3-0 in the Premier League 2026/2027 at home, drew 2-2 at Aston Villa, and then lost 1-2 at home to Liverpool. A similar up-and-down pattern can be applied to Sunderland's last few games, so we're expecting a lively cup clash.
Sunderland have won four, drawn one, and lost five of their last ten in all competitions, while Brentford have won five, drawn four and lost just once in the same period. These sides have one win each and one draw in their last three meetings, drawing 1-1 at Brentford just six weeks ago. With both sides scoring and conceding regularly, there's a good chance this will be close.
Home advantage is a big factor for Sunderland, as they've won three of five at the Stadium of Light this season, conceding just four goals. Brentford are in a better spell of form, but with seven conceded in five on the road, we're going for both teams to net and over 2.5 match goals.
