English Premier
2025-09-21 - Sunderland vs Aston Villa
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Sunday 21st September 2025 - Kick Off 2pm
This game is live on TV
Sunderland
Regis Le Bris has been well backed in the transfer market by the Sunderland board as they looked to give the manager a squad that is capable of surviving in the top flight. The last six promoted clubs have struggled in bridging the gap from the Championship to the Premier League, but Le Bris and the players deserve credit for some of the early results produced.
Confidence will have been raised after Sunderland earned a draw last weekend at Crystal Palace to sit in 7th place in the Premier League table with 7 points secured. The Black Cats have been particularly strong at the Stadium of Light where they have a 2-0-0 record having scored 5 goals and conceded 1.
Sunderland were beaten by League One Huddersfield Town on Penalties in the League Cup Second Round at the Stadium of Light last month, but wins over West Ham United and Brentford have meant a positive start to the campaign. They had ended last season with 4 straight 0-1 home defeats and so those early results here will have been very welcome for Regis Le Bris, the players and the Sunderland fans.
Dan Ballard, Luke O'Nien and Enzo Le Fee are all hoping to be available after missing out last weekend.
Aston Villa
The final day of the last campaign saw Aston Villa have a goal ruled out controversially at Old Trafford in a game in which they had already seen Emiliano Martinez sent off. All they needed was a point to earn a return to the Champions League, but the defeat has been followed by a poor summer of recruitment and an absolutely miserable beginning to the new season.
This continued on Tuesday when Aston Villa rang the changes, but continued to struggle in the final third and were beaten on Penalties by Brentford in the League Cup Third Round. They are 19th in the Premier League table with 2 points on the board, but last weekend's draw with Everton means Aston Villa are still waiting for a first League goal. The Villans travel to the North East with a 0-1-1 away record in the top flight.
Aston Villa will have some concerned supporters travelling to the Stadium of Light with the team having failed to win any of their last 6 games in all competitions and not scored a goal in 5 Premier League games. They did score at Brentford in the League Cup, but they could not push on for a victory and Aston Villa have won 1 of their last 6 games on their travels in all competitions.
Boubacar Kamara and Andre Onana are key figures hoping to return sooner than later, but Youri Tielemens will miss out. Unai Emery made plenty of changes to freshen up his squad and the likes of Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins are expected to be restored to the starting lineup.
Head to Head
Sunderland and Aston Villa last met in the 2017/18 Championship season and it was the latter who won both League fixtures.
The 0-3 win at the Stadium of Light in March 2018 means Aston Villa have been victorious in 4 of their last 5 visits to this part of the North East.
Prediction
The underlying numbers suggest there has been very little between Sunderland and Aston Villa, but it is the newly promoted club that can point to having 7 points on the board compared with the 2 that The Villans have secured.
Neither team really impressed last weekend and were fortunate to earn a point each in goalless efforts at Selhurst Park and Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The attacking side of the game is still a work in progress for both teams and that is evident by the lack of big chances being created.
Sunderland are bedding in new players, which perhaps contributes to the lack of early rhythm, but Regis Le Bris will be pleased with the composure and clinical finishing that has helped the team produce a couple of home League wins. They were aided by some poor goalkeeping in the big win over West Ham United, but all credit should be given to Sunderland for fighting back from a goal behind to beat Brentford last time out here.
They have actually been relatively solid at the back and Sunderland may feel they can contain the threat that Aston Villa will bring.
Some fans are worried that there has been a staleness to the Aston Villa attack, but the depth may be returning after Harvey Elliot and Jadon Sancho earned significant minutes on Tuesday. Options from the bench are always important, but Unai Emery will also need England internationals Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins to find a spark that has been missing.
Emiliano Martinez was back in goal last week and was key to preserving a clean sheet, the second of the season already for Aston Villa, but the manager needs a spark lit in the final third.
Like the hosts, Aston Villa are struggling to create real quality in the final third and they have simply not had the slight bit of fortune that may have led to goals being scored. You do have to believe that will change considering how well Aston Villa have played under Unai Emery over the last couple of years, but that needs to start happening soon.
The best work has tended to be done at Villa Park in that time, but Aston Villa have won 5 of the last 6 away games played in the Premier League against newly promoted clubs.
With the margins as tight as they have been in games featuring these two clubs, it won't take a lot to get things turned around and Aston Villa could find a way to end their search for a first goal and win here this weekend.
Sunderland have been clinical at home, but were perhaps a touch fortunate to turn things around against Brentford and the pendulum may just swing against them for the first time at the Stadium of Light in the return to the top flight.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Sunderland 0-2 Aston Villa
