Sunderland preview: back on track

Morning everyone.
Today football returns, as we travel to the Stadium of Light to take on Sunderland.
Last time we played them happened to be during that wonderful run-in, and saw us get three points. We went 1-0 up, lost a man to a red card and finished with our backs to the wall, Sagna filling in as an emergency centre-back and Ramsey covering the right-back position.
It was one of these games we won through sheer will and determination, cause we didn't have much of a team back then. Now we do, and should be able put the Black Cats on the defensive relatively easy. It won't a walk in the park by all means (remember the unacceptable quality of their pitch?), but we do have enough resources to win (even win comfortably). So fingers crossed, we'll have something to cheer about, come 8 p.m.
In terms of the team, the news is mixed. Rosicky and Sanogo are definitely out, there were also some troubling reports Mertesacker and Ozil will miss out through sickness, but these are just rumors, so I won't put much faith in them, till I see our team sheet.
The good news is, Vermaelen, Walcott and Whilshere are all fine and should make the squad, which gives us some breathing space. Defense is packed to the limit, so the manager will have a pleasant task picking his back four. Assuming, Mertesacker is fit, I suspect we'll see a Sagna-Mertesacker-Koscielny-Gibbs quartet, with Monreal, Jenks and Vermaelen all making the bench.
In midfield, the situation is close to breaking point, due to Arteta and Rosicky absences, but we are not just here yet. Should Ozil be all right, he'll start alongside Ramsey and Whilshere. Though I won't be surprised, if Flamini is played before the Englishman, seeing how Jack looks off the pace. We'll see.
In our attacking line things aren't going to change for a long time, so Giroud, Walcott and Cazorla remain or only viable options. It's easy to see, how another winger may have strengthened us, but there no point in moaning now. What we have, we hold and all that.
A surprise awaits us on the bench, though, cause TGSTEL himself will be there. He's fit and ready to play, and Wenger even said that, an in-form Bendther may still be of use to us. It should have been Higuain. Or Ba.
The squad we have is no doubt a strong one, it will be head-spinningly strong with Ozil in it, so I see no reason, why we shouldn't get all the the points. Come on you reds.
Not much going on, apart from that, so I'll leave it here. Back with a review either today or tomorrow.
Until then