Two sides that have made very contrasting starts to the Premier League season lock horns in the North East this weekend as Sunderland take on Aston Villa.
- Date: 21/09/2025
- Kick-off: 2:00pm
- Location: Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Sunderland's first four games of the season have averaged two goals per game, while Aston Villa's first four have averaged one goal per game, so don't expect this one to be a game filled with goals.
Aston Villa are yet to find the back of the net in the Premier League but have kept two clean sheets, while Sunderland have failed to find the back of the net twice and have kept two clean sheets. Looking at the data, it feels like a game that will be decided on fine margins.
Morale is certainly much higher in the Sunderland camp, with the team taking seven points from four games. A 3-0 win over West Ham, a 2-1 win over Brentford and a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace make a strong set of results, even if they did lose 2-0 to Burnley in and amongst that.
The Black Cats look very strong physically and have made it clear they'll be extremely competitive in this division, whether they stay up or not. They've spent a notable amount of money in the transfer market and that appears to have paid dividends, with the squad clearly at a Premier League standard.
Aston Villa, by contrast, have had a very poor start to the campaign, drawing two and losing two of their four games, failing to score a single goal. Villa's poor start to the campaign is a bit of a puzzle given how good they've been under Unai Emery since he took charge at the club, and they'll be hoping it's little more than rustiness.
Villa did score a goal in a 1-1 draw to Brentford in the EFL Cup on Tuesday night, a game they ultimately lost on penalties. New signing Harvey Elliott was the goalscorer, marking his first goal for the club, and he could play a significant part for the team this season given how sorely in need of attacking inspiration they are.
There isn't likely to be much in the way of goals in this game, but given how well Sunderland have started and the fact they've taken six points from six on home soil, they'll fancy their chances here.
Sunderland 1-0 Aston Villa
