Martin Wanless predicts…
Score prediction: Sunderland 2 Villa 0
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Habib Diarra
After a credible draw at Palace, we face a Villa side who’ve started the season slowly and are yet to register a league goal.
It’s going to be a massively tough game, but with another sell out crowd and a raucous atmosphere, I think there’s a good chance we get all three points.
Team-wise, it’ll be interesting to see who Régis Le Bris picks, as there’s a few options available to him.
If I was a Villa fan, I’d be going for
Bertrand Traore to start and to get the first goal — and I think there’s a chance of that happening — but instead I’ll go for a goal from Diarra to get him off the mark – maybe from the penalty spot.
‘The Champion’ Malc Dugdale predicts…
Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Villa 0
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Eliezer Mayenda
Although Villa haven’t had a great start, they’re an established Premier League club and at some point they’ll click into gear, but we have to hope that isn’t the case today.
The crowd really have been our twelfth man so far this season and with them in full voice, we’ll take some stopping.
I fully expect the ‘Big Man’ to get a start and to really terrorise the Villa defence, supported by what’s shaping up to be a very solid midfield. Eli is my shout to get our first and potentially only goal today, although if others add to Villa’s misery, I’ll take that all day.
I’ll miss this game despite it being on Sky as my nephew Kyle is thirty this weekend, so I’ll be drinking ale and eating fine foods in London while the Lads carry on their task to remain in the top eight.
Kyle is a Spurs fan, but has accompanied us to Wembley, supporting Sunderland in red and white with all the vigour of a local, so a win for the Lads while we’re raising a glass for a significant day in our Kyle’s life would be very apt. Happy Birthday, Kyle, and Haway the Lads!
Jack Howe-Gingell predicts…
Score prediction: Sunderland 2 Villa 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Habib Diarra
It was great to get a point at Crystal Palace last week — a side who’ll beat their fair share of teams at Selhurst Park. It wasn’t the prettiest, but we were resolute and we’ll need that kind of resolve this season.
Being back at home in front of a full house will be ideal, particularly against an Aston Villa side who’ve started slowly.
It feels like an obvious jinx, but Villa haven’t scored in the league yet and I’m hoping we can take advantage of their current misfiring ways.
Make no mistake: Villa’s squad is full of quality and we’ll need to be at our best, but it seems like a very good time to play them and I feel the energy of our lads will prove vital.
If we could pick up another win, getting us up to ten points with three wins out of five, things would be looking very good indeed. After this, we have two tricky away games back to back, so a good result here would be real boost.
Will Jones predicts…
Score prediction: Sunderland 3 Villa 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Eliezer Mayenda
After a gritty point at Selhurst Park, we’re back at the Stadium of Light, and this feels like the perfect moment to turn up the heat.
Villa haven’t found their rhythm yet this season, and while they’ve got quality in the squad, they’ve looked vulnerable defensively. With the crowd behind us and a few players knocking on the door for starts, I think we’ll take full advantage.
Régis Le Bris has options, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a couple of changes to freshen things up. Mayenda’s been lively in spells and looks ready to explode, so I’m backing him to get the opener, bursting through the lines and finishing with that coolness we’ve seen glimpses of.
Villa will have their moments and I expect them to get one back now they’ve scored a goal, but I think we’ll be too sharp, too aggressive, and too hungry. A big performance, a statement win, and a reminder that the Stadium of Light is becoming a place no one wants to visit.
Matty Foster predicts…
Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Villa 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Eliezer Mayenda
It was a great point on the road last time out, and further proving, we don’t look out of place in the Premier League, and today we’re back on home soil against a winless and goalless Villa.
Regardless of their surprisingly bad start, Villa always pose a danger. The feeling amongst their fans is quite negative, particularly given our solid start and two home wins.
I don’t know how to place this one, to be honest. Once again, I’m going for the middle of the road.
Anthony Gair predicts…
Score prediction: Sunderland 2 Villa 0
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Bryan Brobbey
Nothing that hasn’t been said already, but we’re bucking trends these days and I fully expect us to continue to do this!
I reckon we’ll start slowly and that they may nick a goal, but I reckon we’ll grow into the game and I believe in Omar Alderete and Nordi Mukiele to keep them at bay for the remainder of the game.
We’ll kick on and Brobbey will bag in early in the second half to send us all delirious, then we’ll go on to score in injury time.
Them’s the predictions!
Gary Winter predicts…
Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Villa 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Habib Diarra
An excellent point away at Crystal Palace sets us up nicely for a home match against an underperforming Aston Villa.
Our form at the Stadium of Light is going to be crucial and the fans have played more than their part so far. We’ll be tough to beat here, but we need to gradually start being more threatening in the attacking third.
It’s time for some midfield players to start directly contributing to the goals, and it would be great for Habib Diarra to open his account in front of a sell-out crowd, live on Sky.
We haven’t had a ‘typical Sunderland’ game yet, and maybe those will be more few and far between with this new-look team. However, this one feels like it has the potential, with Villa sitting in the bottom two and without a league goal.
They’re a better team than that and I can see us both fighting out an entertaining draw — I do think Villa get their first league goal of the season, though.
Brett Lyons-Davis predicts…
Score prediction: Sunderland 2 Villa 0
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Eliezer Mayenda
A good point on the road last time out keeps the good feelings on Wearside as we welcome goalless (in the league) Villa to the Stadium of Light.
If Robin Roefs can have an equally inspired performance as last weekend, I can’t see that changing either.
Our home form is going to be so important this season and a win against an out-of-form Villa should be on the cards, in front of the Sky cameras for the first time this season, with Mayenda bagging the first.
Last time out…
The Lads secured a great away draw and point at Crystal Palace last weekend, and while a win would’ve been epic, if we keep up this form of winning more often than not at home — and getting points away, too — we’ll be all good.
It was a day when both sides had chances but defences kept the sheets clean at both ends, and our man Robin Roefs was massive for us.
He more than justified his selection ahead of Anthony Patterson and without him, we may well have narrowly lost. An epic battle from one to eleven (as well as the subs) and a great point which could make a difference come May.
Last game predictions
A draw was the majority call from the lads last weekend, with only our Gary calling a loss, and a couple of wins hoped for.
Nobody went for a 0-0 but we all would’ve taken it if offered it beforehand.
A really solid and welcome performance and away point. Nice one.
Hopefully the more optimistic predictions for today’s home game against Villa will be rewarded rather than overturned.
Predictions Table and Standings
Jack leapfrogs his peers into first place, with Brett and Will dropping to joint second.
Matty continues to prop up the table with two points, but isn’t too far behind those above him.
How the points are awarded
Just a quick reminder of how we allocate points to our match-by-match predictions:
- Correct score = Three points
- Correct outcome (but not correct score) = One point
- Correct first Sunderland goalscorer = One point (no goalscorer is a valid call)
- Possible deductions for being lazy and not submitting on time = a two-point deduction.
