Sunderland will host Aston Villa at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, looking to continue an excellent start to the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Sunderland have picked up seven points from four Premier League matches so far, and they will be happy with the way the season has started ahead of the game vs Aston Villa. The Black Cats will look to build further momentum and put together a run of positive performances now.
Regis Le Bris and his charges will not want to go back to the EFL Championship this season, and they will look to establish themselves as Premier League regulars. Meanwhile, Aston Villa have made a disastrous start to the Premier League season, and they are yet to pick up a win in four matches.
Unai Emery’s charges will be desperate to get back to winning ways, and it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly. They have a quality team and a quality manager. However, Villa have not been able to perform at a high level. It remains to be seen whether they improve here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News and Tactics
Sunderland
Regis Le Bris will be without Aji Alese and Luke O’Nien with shoulder injuries. Dennis Cirkin misses out with a wrist injury, and Romaine Mundle has a hamstring problem.
Sunderland will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation vs Aston Villa, with Robin Roefs in goal. Trai Hume and Reinildo Mandava will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and hit Aston Villa on the break. Dan Ballard will start alongside Jenson Seelt at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Habib Diarra will look to protect the defensive unit and break up opposition attacking moves. Noah Sadiki and Granit Xhaka will add control and creativity to the side alongside him. Finally, Eliezer Mayenda will lead the line for Sunderland vs Aston Villa, with Chemsdine Talbi and Simon Adingra on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Roefs; Hume, Seelt, Balland, Reinaldo; Sadiki, Xhaka, Diarra; Talbi, Mayenda, Adingra
Aston Villa
Andres Garcia and Ross Barkley will miss out for the away side with minor muscular issues. Aston Villa will shape up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation vs Sunderland, with Emiliano Martinez in goal.
Matty Cash and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things compact defensively and help out in the attack. Ezri Konsa will form the central defensive partnership alongside Pau Torres.
As for the midfield unit, John McGinn will start alongside Lamare Bogarde in the double pivot. They will look to add drive and control to the side from deep. Youri Tielemans will start as the advanced midfielder, and he will look to add creativity to the squad.
Donyell Malen and Morgan Rogers will start on the flanks. They will look to link up with Ollie Watkins in the final third and open up goalscoring chances.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; McGinn, Bogarde; Malen, Tielemans, Rogers, Watkins
Key Stats
- Aston Villa have failed to score in their last five matches in the Premier League.
- Aston Villa are unbeaten in five of the last six matches against Sunderland.
- 18 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Sunderland are unbeaten in three of the four Premier League matches this season.
- Sunday’s clash will be Unai Emery’s first Premier League game against Sunderland. The Spanish tactician has beaten 25 of the previous 27 clubs he has previously faced with Arsenal and Aston Villa in the division, failing only against Ipswich Town (D2) and Liverpool (D4 L5). Meanwhile, the Villans have lost none of their 15 Premier League games under Emery against newly promoted sides (W12 D3); their most recent defeat was in their last game under Steven Gerrard, losing 3-0 away at Fulham.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
The Aston Villa striker is our key player to watch out for. The away side will need him to step up and produce a strong performance if they want to win the game. The English international will need to help create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net when the chances arrive.
Watkins has been the talisman for Aston Villa in recent seasons, and it will be interesting to see if he can make a defining impact in the final third for his team this week. The experienced striker has been involved 12 goals in his last nine Premier League appearances against newly promoted clubs (6 goals, 6 assists).
Watkins is currently level with Gabriel Agbonlahor (14 goals, 6 assists) for most goal involvements against promoted sides for Aston Villa in the competition (10 goals, 10 assists). So, he will be the go-to man for Unai Emery against Sunderland this weekend.
Prediction
Sunderland 1-1 Aston Villa
The two teams will be desperate for a victory here, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Neither side is likely to sit back and defend. Sunderland and Aston Villa will look for each other and there will be plenty of opportunities for both teams.
Both sides are likely to get on the scoresheet here, but it will be difficult to separate them. The two teams could end up cancelling each other out in a draw. They are likely to share the spoils, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 stalemate for Sunday’s Premier League clash at the Stadium of Light.
