Sunderland Vs Aston Villa Preview, Premier League: Prediction, Players To Watch – All You Need To Know

Unai Emery has urged his struggling team to “keep going” as Aston Villa make the trip to Sunderland on Sunday.

Winless Villa, who visit the Stadium of Light for the first time since the 2017-18 season, crashed out of the EFL Cup on Tuesday after a penalty shoot-out loss to Brentford.

Sitting 19th in the Premier League standings, after drawing two and losing two of their opening four games, the Villans are yet to score a single goal in the league this term.

Having been held to a goalless draw at Everton last Saturday, Villa have failed to score in five consecutive Premier League games for the first time since a run of six between December 2014 and February 2015.

"We lost but I want to keep going, to keep improving things, giving some players minutes we need to add in the squad," Emery said following Tuesday's defeat.

"We have to work hard like we were doing, with the new structure and new players we have who joined us two weeks ago. We have to improve and we have to keep the same progression we were showing [against Brentford]."

Sunderland have enjoyed a contrasting start to the campaign, having already accumulated seven points from the 12 available.

The Black Cats frustrated Crystal Palace on their travels last weekend, with Robin Roefs' heroics in goal ensuring Regis Le Bris' side came away from Selhurst Park with a clean sheet and a share of the spoils.

Sunderland will be looking to exhibit the same level of organisational discipline on Sunday, as they look to win their first three home top-flight games in a season since 1965-66, with no newly promoted side achieving the feat since Burnley in 2009-10.

"[Aston Villa are] another tough challenge at home," said Le Bris.

"We will prepare for this game properly. I hope we will be at the level."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sunderland – Wilson Isidor

Sunderland fan favourite Isidor has scored in both of the club’s home Premier League games so far this season, finding the net in victories over West Ham and Brentford. The last player to score in each of the Black Cats’ first three at the Stadium of Light was Darren Bent in 2010-11.

The Frenchman has scored with two of his three shots on target so far this season, having played for just 155 minutes across the four games, coming off the bench in three of those.

Aston Villa – Ollie Watkins

Watkins has contributed to 12 goals in his last nine Premier League games against promoted opposition (six goals and six assists). He is now tied with Gabriel Agbonlahor for the most goal involvements by a Villa player against newly promoted sides in the competition, with both on 20 (Watkins: 10 goals, 10 assists; Agbonlahor: 14 goals, six assists)

However, the England international is yet to get off the mark this season, despite registering 17 goals in all competitions for Emery’s side during the 2024-25 campaign.

MATCH PREDICTION: ASTON VILLA WIN

Sunderland’s recent record against Sunday’s opponents does not make for pretty reading, having managed just one win in their last 12 league encounters with Villa (drawing five, losing six) – though that victory did come in their most recent Premier League clash in January 2016, a 3-1 success.

Last time the two sides faced off in the same league, Villa completed the double in the 2017-18 Championship campaign and are aiming to record three consecutive league wins in this fixture for the first time since December 2009 under Martin O’Neill.

While they are yet to register their first win of the campaign, under Emery, Villa’s record against newly promoted sides is impressive, having gone unbeaten in 15 against Premier League newcomers (winning 12, drawing three), with their last such defeat coming in Steven Gerrard’s final match in charge – a 3-0 loss at Fulham.

This will be Emery’s first top-flight meeting with Sunderland; in the Premier League, he has beaten 25 of the 27 clubs he has faced with Arsenal and Villa, failing only against Ipswich Town (drawing two) and Liverpool (drawing four, losing five).

Sunderland, meanwhile, have been ruthlessly efficient in front of goal this season, scoring five times from just nine shots on target. Only Arsenal (64%) boast a higher conversion rate from attempts on target than the Black Cats (56%).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Sunderland – 22.5%

Draw – 22.2%

Aston Villa – 55.3%