Chris Sutton and Paul Merson in agreement on Sunderland prediction vs Nottingham Forest

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Chris Sutton and Paul Merson share the same opinion of how Sunderland will fare against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

The Black Cats will travel to the City Ground on Saturday as currently one of the most in-form teams in the top flight.

Wilson Isidor broke Darren Bent’s record last time out, as the Frenchman equalised eight minutes after Matty Cash’s opener to rescue a share of the spoils against Aston Villa.

Sunderland were forced to play the majority of the clash at the Stadium of Light with ten men after summer signing Reinildo committed a “violent act” on Cash in the first half.

However, the result means the newly promoted side are sitting seventh in the league table, five points clear of the relegation zone, and now two of the most followed pundits have given their predictions for Saturday’s match.

Sunderland are expected to lose against Nottingham Forest

While Merson and Sutton have admitted they have been impressed by what they have seen of Sunderland this season, both expect Forest to take the three points.

Merson wrote for Sportskeeda that although the Black Cats have been “outstanding” this season, the ex-Arsenal man expects the home advantage to help Ange Postecoglou claim a 1-0 win on the day.

Sutton, writing for BBC Sport, echoed this view. The pundit admitted he has been “impressed” by Sunderland but expects the club to suffer a 2-1 defeat at the City Ground.

Even Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer couldn’t contain his praise of his North East rivals, who have emerged as the Premier League’s surprise package throughout the opening weeks of the season.

They have emphatically outperformed their fellow promoted sides, with Burnley sitting in 16th place and Leeds United a few places higher in 12th.

Jamie Carragher still backs Sunderland for relegation despite recent results, but Le Bris has only one loss to his name in the Premier League, with the draws against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa arguably more impressive than the wins over West Ham and Brentford.

Sunderland have the players to retain their Premier League status

Helped by the £27 million sale of Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund, the Black Cats sanctioned a £163m outlay on new acquisitions ahead of their return to the top division.

And with astute signings such as Granit Xhaka and Nordi Mukiele, Sunderland boast a squad that is more than capable of retaining their Premier League status.

In the past three seasons, all the newly-promoted clubs have suffered an immediate return to the Championship. However, in the previous ten years, teams that have recorded 11 or more points after the first ten matches have survived the drop.

The Black Cats have eight points after the opening five games, and are well on track to surpass this mark in the upcoming weeks, suggesting that Sunderland supporters will soon know whether they will be enjoying Premier League football again next season.