Sunderland have won just one of their last 12 league meetings with Aston Villa (D5 L6), although that was the most recent Premier League game between the pair in January 2016 (3-1).

Aston Villa completed a league double over Sunderland when they last faced in 2017-18 in the Championship and could win three in a row in the league against the Black Cats for the first time since December 2009 under Martin O’Neill.

Sunderland are looking to win three consecutive home Premier League matches for the first time since February 2012, while a win in this game would see them equal their total wins at the Stadium of Light in their last top-flight campaign in 2016-17 (W3 D5 L11).

Aston Villa have failed to score in their last five league games, only once having a longer run in their history (six between December 2014 and February 2015). Meanwhile, they could become just the third team in top-flight history to fail to score in any of their first five league games to a campaign after Ipswich Town (1970-71) and Crystal Palace (2017-18).

Sunderland last won their first three home top-flight games in a season back in 1965-66, while the last newly promoted side to win their first three home games in the Premier League were Burnley in 2009-10.

Aston Villa have lost none of their 15 Premier League games under Unai Emery against newly promoted sides (W12 D3) – their last defeat was in their last game under Steven Gerrard, losing 3-0 away at Fulham.

Sunderland have scored five goals from just nine shots on target in the Premier League this season, with only Arsenal (64%) converting a higher share of their attempts on target than the Black Cats (56%).

This will be Unai Emery’s first Premier League game against Sunderland – he has beaten 25 of the previous 27 clubs he’s previously faced with Arsenal and Aston Villa in the division, failing only against Ipswich (D2) and Liverpool (D4 L5).

Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins has been involved 12 goals in his last nine Premier League appearances against newly promoted clubs (6 goals, 6 assists). He’s currently level with Gabriel Agbonlahor (14 goals, 6 assists) for most goal involvements against promoted sides for Villa in the competition (10 goals, 10 assists).

Wilson Isidor has scored in both of Sunderland’s home Premier League games so far this season. The last player to score in each of the Black Cats’ first three at the Stadium of Light was Darren Bent in 2010-11.