/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.footballwhispers.com%2Fmain%2F2026%2F07%2FELF.jpg)
Sunderland will kick off their preparations for the 2026-27 Premier League season on Saturday, when they visit the LNER Community Stadium to take on York City.
The hosts are building towards their return to League Two after winning the National League last time around, while the visitors have another Premier League campaign and Europa League football looming.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
York City vs. Sunderland key stats
- York City won the National League last season with 108 points from 46 matches.
- In the 2025-26 National League season, York City managed 33 wins and just four defeats, while scoring 114 goals.
- Sunderland's seventh-placed Premier League finish last season was their highest finish in England's top flight since 2000-2001.
- Sunderland are preparing for their first European campaign since 1973.
York City vs. Sunderland preview: Black Cats to begin preparations for Premier League and Europa League campaign.
York City vs Sunderland — Tale of the Tape
| York City (National League) | vs | Sunderland (Premier League) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Position | 7th |
| 108 | Points | 54 |
| 114 | Goals For | 42 |
| 41 | Goals Against | 48 |
| 19 | Clean Sheets | 11 |
| 2nd / 1st | Home / Away Rank | 8th / 13th |
York City will continue their pre-season buildup on Saturday in preparation for their upcoming return to England's fourth tier after a historic campaign last time around.
They ended a 10-year spell out of the football league by winning the National League in style, amassing 108 points from their 46 matches as they won 33 and only lost four of those.
That came down to a final-day showdown with Rochdale, needing a draw to stay ahead of their opponents and earn automatic promotion, and they did so in dramatic fashion, drawing 1-1 as they fell behind in injury time and equalised with the final kick of the game in the 103rd minute through Josh Stones.
Now turning their focus to life back in League Two, the Minstermen acted to bolster their squad with the summer signings of Arthur Read, Zech Medley, Mark Shelton, Charlie McArthur, Frankie Maguire, Dipo Akinyemi and Zak Johnson, who arrived on a permanent deal from Saturday's visitors.
Now on the back of a 2-1 win over Barnsley and a 4-2 loss to Pickering Town in their opening friendlies, York will look to ramp up their preparation against Premier League opposition at the weekend with the start of the term in August approaching.
Their visitors, meanwhile, head into their first friendly of pre-season on the back of a memorable season of their own.
On their return to the Premier League after eight years way, Sunderland achieved a seventh-placed finish, earning entry into this year's Europa League league phase as a result.
The Black Cats secured that place with a pair of victories to end the season over Everton and Chelsea, taking them onto 54 points from their 38 matches courtesy of 14 top-flight wins alongside 12 defeats.
Their preparations for the second consecutive Premier League term have been somewhat halted by the World Cup, though, with 12 players turning out for their nations in USA, Mexico and Canada, and it is yet to be seen whether these will come straight into the fold for friendlies, especially Granit Xhaka and Chemsdine Taibi who played parts in runs to the quarter-finals with Switzerland and Morocco respectively.
Instead, those players from the World Cup, and especially those who reached the knockout stages including Robin Roefs, Lutsharel Geertruida and Brian Brobbey with Netherlands, may be eased back in across Saturday's game and their next few outings after a demanding summer, as Sunderland bid to go again and challenge at the top end of the Premier League table.
York City vs. Sunderland form guide & betting tips
| York City | vs | Sunderland |
|---|---|---|
W
W
D
W
L |
Form |
L
D
D
W
W
|
| 9 | Goals For | 6 |
| 6 | Goals Against | 8 |
WL |
Club Friendly |
Whispers predicts: York City 2-4 Sunderland
York City have managed to score twice in both of their first two friendlies of pre-season after hitting 114 in the National League last time around, and we fancy them breaching what may be a makeshift or young Sunderland back line depending on the condition of certain players after the World Cup, while the visitors should certainly have the quality to get on the scoresheet in York. We fancy Both Teams to Score.
Despite potential rust and fatigue in their first pre-season test after World Cup commitments for several members of the squad, Sunderland do have an abundance of talent and depth, with plenty of players keen to earn the favour of Regis Le Bris for the upcoming campaign, and we back them to get the better of their fourth-tier hosts and win the game.
If Le Bris rotates his squad throughout, as is often the case in the first few friendlies, their wide range of dangerous attackers will be desperate to make the most of their minutes and stake their claim for starting spots with goals. We see over 3.5 Sunderland goals as worth a go at the LNER Community Stadium.
> Both Teams to Score | Likelihood: Probable
> Sunderland to win | Likelihood: Likely
> Over 3.5 Sunderland goals | Likelihood: Possible