Saturday 21st September 2025
Sunderland v Aston Villa – Premier League
Stadium of Light Kick-Off: 14:00
Tickets & Match Coverage
Tickets: Tickets are sold out.
TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is unavailable in the UK.
Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online)
Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker Report Twitter feed (@RokerReport) and check out the player ratings after the full-time whistle at
www.RokerReport.sbnation.com!
The build-up…
We’re back at the Stadium of Light and Aston Villa are the opposition in this afternoon’s fixture, and if you had said ahead of the West
Ham game that we’d be five points ahead of Villa after four game,s I’d have questioned your ability to predict the future.
But here we are, and there is the accusation thrown at the Lads regarding who we have played, but we still have to do the busines,s and the result at Burnley is a clear indication of what happens when you let your guard down for a game.
The manager confirmed Enzo Le Fee is fit and available and may provide a headache ahead of selecting the starting XI – so I’ll leave that one to Martin when he predicts the side this morning.
The simpler decision may be around Dan Ballard, who is also fit again. However, comments from Le Bris regarding his back four being based on momentum and form will surely mean that we won’t see any changes there. It was also stated that Luke O’Nien is still a week or two away from being considered.
Other comments alluding to team selection were interesting, particularly regarding Brian Brobbey and Bertrand Traoré, whom the gaffer said are still getting to know their teammates ahead of being considered for a place in the starting XI.
If we win today, we will be on two points per game over the first five games, which, over the course of last season, would have seen us finish runners-up to Manchester City, which is a nice thought to finish with.
Sunderland AFC has a different feel to it these days. Let’s take the late goals in last season’s play-offs, it was usually us on the end of that sort of thing, and that’s where today is another potential test on that front.
The reason for this is that, after a couple of cracking seasons, things haven’t started well this time around, and not only do they sit second bottom of the table – only above pointless Wolves – but they haven’t scored a league goal so far this season.
Now they have to score sometime, but historically, Sunderland have been a good team to take on when you need to break a rotten record like this one. Two draws, one against the mags at home on the opening day and the other away to Everton last time out, sandwich two defeats against Brentford on the road and Palace on home soil, and as much as people point to the fact they haven’t scored, they have conceded the same number as leaders Liverpool.
Our record against Villa isn’t good, with only one win in the last twelve in a run going back to 2011, but it’s yet another chance for us to show that this is a different Sunderland that’s returned to the Premier League.
The betting…
The bookies have the Lads at 5/2 to win the game, the Villans are favourites at 11/10, and the draw is 11/5.
Head to head… at Sunderland
(All competitions)
- Sunderland wins: 39
- Draws: 27
- Aston Villa wins: 24
- Sunderland goals: 154
- Aston Villa goals: 122
Last time we met… at the Stadium of Light
Tuesday 6th March 2018
Championship
Sunderland 0-3 Aston Villa
Sunderland: Steele, Love, Kone, O’Shea (Asoro), Browning (Jonest), McManaman, Cattermole, Ejaria, McGeady, Fletcher (Maja) Substitutes not used: Camp, Honeyman, Williams, Lua Lua
Aston Villa: Johnstone, Elmohamady, Taylor, Hourihane, Chester, Terry, Snodgrass, Whelan (Jedinak), Grabban (Bjarnason), Hogan (Grealish), Adomah Substitutes not used: Bunn, Onomah, Lansbury, Davis
Attendance: 26,081
Played for both…
Kevin Phillips
One of only two Englishmen to have won the European Golden Boot. Do we need to say anymore?!
Prediction…
Sunderland 1-1 Aston Villa
Villa will get it right at some point, but I’m hoping it’s not quite today. They will inevitably score a league goal today, but we’re building in confidence, and although today will be tough, I reckon we’ll get something out of it.
