Sunderland defender Dan Ballard expressed confidence ahead of the club’s first European match in over five decades, despite a narrow 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in their recent Premier League encounter. The Black Cats fell to a second-half strike from Bruno Guimaraes and a late penalty converted by Bukayo Saka on Saturday, but Ballard emphasized that the team’s overall performance provided a positive foundation.

Sunderland missed an early opportunity to take the lead when Enzo Le Fee’s penalty was saved by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. The game demonstrated Sunderland’s capacity to contend with a top Premier League side, a factor Ballard highlighted as a source of encouragement going into their Europa League opening fixture against AZ Alkmaar on Wednesday.

“We played a really good game and dealt with most things that Arsenal threw at us. We were able to cause problems at the other end, too, so we’ll take confidence from that,” Ballard said, acknowledging the team’s disappointment in not securing a better result.

Sunderland qualified for the Europa League following a strong finish to last season, marking their first appearance in European competition since 1970. Manager Regis Le Bris and his squad now face the task of building on recent performances as they prepare to welcome Dutch side AZ Alkmaar to the Stadium of Light.

Ballard anticipates a vibrant atmosphere for the historic fixture, noting the passionate support from Sunderland fans. “You could see against Arsenal how much the fans get behind us. They will be up for it on Wednesday, and we will be too. It’s exciting,” he added.

The upcoming match represents a significant milestone for Sunderland, as the club aims to translate the enthusiasm and confidence demonstrated against one of England’s leading teams into a strong showing on the European stage.