Aston Villa

Sunderland look to continue their impressive start to life back in the top-flight against goal-shy Aston Villa. BBC Sport takes a look at the key talking points going into this fixture.

Sunderland's tally of seven points from four matches is their joint best after four games of a Premier League season, while it has been 70 years since they last accrued more points at this stage of a top-flight campaign (assuming three points for a win).

Another victory would see them start a top-flight season with three straight home victories for the first time since 1965-66. Remarkably, it would also match their tally of victories at the Stadium of Light across the whole of their last Premier League campaign in 2016-17.

Although they failed to have a shot on target in their creditable goalless draw at Crystal Palace, they have scored five goals from just nine shots on target in league matches this season with only Arsenal (64%) converting a higher share than the Black Cats' 56%.

Matters at the other end of the pitch have been equally as encouraging, with two clean sheets in four games matching their tally in their previous 14 Premier League matches combined.

Crucial to that has been new signing Robin Roefs. The 22-year-old Dutch keeper has taken to the English top flight superbly and he prevented an expected 1.59 goals at Selhurst Park.

The dark clouds continue to form over Aston Villa after their EFL Cup exit on penalties at Brentford on Tuesday. They did at least find the back of the net for the first time this season, but their drought in the league stretches to 466 minutes and 49 shots.

For the first time in their history, they have failed to score in their opening four league games to a season. Failing to do so once again at the Stadium of Light would see them become just the third team in top-flight history to begin a campaign goalless in their first five league games, after Ipswich Town in 1970-71 and Crystal Palace in 2017-18.

Unai Emery's side have actually had more shots after four games than Sunderland, as well as Burnley, Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Brentford and Crystal Palace. Some of their attacking metrics are also up on their excellent 2024-25 campaign, but despite getting the ball into the box more often, things are just not clicking. Their xG of 2.97 is the second worst in the top flight.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Sunderland (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• When asked about whether Boubacar Kamara is in a position to start games, he said: "We are so happy when players come back after they were injured. But as well we have players who are playing well. Lamare Bogarde is progressing and he played a fantastic two matches. With Kamara, we are adding one possibility to play as well with his experience and his qualities. But of course, when there are some players that are performing like Lamare, I am feeling as well comfortable and confident. For Sunday, he's [Kamara] coming back after he played 20 minutes against Brentford. Of course, it's good news for the team to have him available for us."

• Sunday will be the first of five matches in 14 days for Villa and when asked how he's going to utilise his squad and manage minutes, Emery said: "We are going to focus on Sunday 100%. We are preparing and players have to do their best. We need the points. We need on Sunday to continue performing and to continue competing and doing something better than what we did in the last two matches because we didn't achieve the results we wanted."

• Morgan Rogers has said he feels targeted by other teams because of his influence at Villa and Emery commented: "Every player has to work and to feel important in the squad and of course Morgan Rogers how he's progressing, he was fantastic and still he has the same challenge to continue improving and keeping the level he had last year."

• On what to expect from Sunderland: "It will be difficult. They are excited and motivated. I watched their documentary on Netflix about their recent history. They are so, so motivated."

• Emery pointed to the need for specific improvement, adding: "Now we have to do one thing, we have to try be more clinical with the ball in attack, better than we did. Of course, we scored the first goal against Brentford on Tuesday but it wasn't enough because we didn't win but it's the way we are working and focusing."

Follow all of Aston Villa's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to live commentary of Sunderland v Aston Villa

Hear more from Emery on BBC Sounds

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Some of you have been using our Ask Me Anything service to query the strength coming through the Aston Villa youth system.

Keep sending your questions to our Villa form. What I can tell you is striker Rory Wilson signed a new contract in April as he stayed at Villa Park despite interest from across Europe.

The Scotland Under-21 international scored Villa's first-ever goal in the Uefa Youth League against Young Boys last September.

He suffered an injury in pre-season but is back in training and there remains high expectation around the 19-year-old.

One who did go out on loan is defender Triston Rowe after he joined Ligue 2 side Annecy in France - with little fanfare.

The right-back, who can also play in the centre, left on deadline day despite having interest in England while Villa were unsure whether to let him out until late.

He had been training with the first team squad with Unai Emery having been impressed.

Rowe helped Villa win the Under-18 Premier League South title, FA Youth Cup and the Under-18 Premier League final last season.

He has been on the bench for Villa this season against Newcastle and Brentford having also made the squad for cup games against Wycombe and Cardiff last season.

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

Find out more here

Chelsea remain interested in Morgan Rogers, despite being put off by Aston Villa's £80m valuation of the 23-year-old forward over the summer. (Sun), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Several questions - including one referring to "glacial movement" - sent in via our 'Ask about Aston Villa' form have wondered whether the club made an error in not bringing back cult hero Jack Grealish, given the issues Unai Emery's side have faced this season so far.

When a Grealish comeback was floated on this page and at a BBC Radio WM fans' forum in July, the prospect of the playmaker returning to Villa seemed a nebulous one. It probably still is.

For all the speculation, there is little evidence of any serious attempt to bring him back. And, while the responses from fans to this website and the radio station constitute only a small straw poll, they suggested no great groundswell of public demand for him to return.

Had Villa started the season adequately, the matter would probably have rested there, but the context has changed even if the facts have not. I note the icy – no pun intended – tone of language in the question, referring to Villa's "glacial" movement. The reason for Villa's tentative play in these early weeks of the season has not yet been satisfactorily explained by Emery or anyone else.

However, had we known in July that Villa would start the season playing in such a constricted way, would that have made the case for Grealish more strongly? If you could be sure of getting the old Villa-issue Grealish, perhaps, but after he had faded into the background at Manchester City it was reasonable to have doubts about whether that version of the player was still around.

My view, expressed on this page at that time, was on the side of the romantics, hopeful for a return. But calling for a gamble is easy when it is not your money on the table. Re-hiring Grealish never looked like a budget option for a club squeezed up against the PSR ceiling.

It is often claimed Grealish was restricted by City's rigid methods. While Emery has his systems too, there has always been room within them for players with a freer spirit. Morgan Rogers has taken advantage of that and, on his best days, Leon Bailey sometimes did too.

But Grealish's impressive early form with Everton has not been a solo project. He ran rings around Wolves recently, for example - but only in partnership with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Perhaps he also benefits from being afforded more space than before - not many teams set up as defensively against Everton as they have been doing against Manchester City in recent years.

Did Villa make a mistake in not trying to bring Grealish home? If they did, it was an understandable one given their financial concerns. Perhaps he would have provided a spark, but Villa's loss of form feels like a wider issue than just being one man short.

Listen to full commentary of Sunderland v Aston Villa at 14:00 BST on Sunday on BBC Radio WM (all frequencies except online)

And tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

Explore Aston Villa content on BBC Sounds

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

Find out more here

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We asked for your views on Aston Villa's performance after they were beaten on penalties by Brentford in the Carabao Cup third round - a result which left Unai Emery's side still searching for their first win of the season.

Here are some of your comments:

Cyril: Abysmal. One tackle in the opposition half, from which they scored. Brentford sliced through Villa like a hot knife through butter. Four passes and they were on the edge of Villa penalty area time after time.

David: The front four on Tuesday have been extensively recruited by Emery but not one of them looked comfortable in the formation. Ponderous going forward, overrun in midfield at times, and then Pau Torres adding a weakness at the back. Perhaps players still need to adapt but another cup has gone and alarm bells are starting to ring.

Kevin: Is there a player in the history of football who has passed the ball back more than Matty Cash?

Prit: What frustrated me was the slow, pedestrian, endless, 'crab-like' sideways passing Villa do, giving the opposition time to get back and play a low defensive block. We chronically lack a creative, forward-thinking player (a Jack Grealish maybe...) who can break open a defence. Some of the players look unfit, uninterested or have a much higher opinion of themselves than their form is showing. Unai needs to pick a team on fitness and form and not reputation. It's not a crisis yet - but time is running out.

Tony: Pretty lame really. I didn't think Villa were pushing on enough. Too many players seem off the pace. Guessand has got an awful first touch - even I could trap a ball better than him. Bizot was badly positioned for their goal too. All in all, a bad performance - and if this carries on, Emery will be gone.

Nick: Really concerned about the fitness and mental attitude of many of the team. Watkins has lost a yard of pace and looked out of sorts. He wasn't the only one. We are in a lot of trouble.

Matt: At least we scored...

Matthew Henry
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

When Aston Villa's opener squeezed in their travelling support broke into chants of "we scored a goal". There was to be no further celebration.

After a difficult transfer window and a summer dominated by discussions around Profit and Sustainability Rules, their start to the season has been downbeat. This defeat only adds to that feeling.

Harvey Elliott's strike did not open the goalscoring floodgates.

They did not have another shot on target until Matty Cash's back-post effort was saved by Hakon Valdimarsson in the 82nd minute, though Jadon Sancho did hit the post on his first appearance for the club.

Sancho was a peripheral figure on the left while Elliott played centrally, sometimes alongside makeshift striker Donyell Malen, with £30m summer signing Evann Guessand appearing raw on the right.

Elliott, on his first start since joining from Liverpool, had a few bright moments but Villa threatened most in the final quarter when Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers were brought on from the bench.

One boost was the return of Boubacar Kamara for a cameo in a midfield that has been ravaged by injuries.

Over the next week they travel to play newly promoted Sunderland and then begin their Europa League campaign against Bologna. A win is badly needed.

Image source, PA Media

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, speaking after his side was knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brentford:

"We improved things. We played 90 minutes with good balance to dominate and create chances.

"We scored one goal - positive. We drew. And the penalty shootout, we lost, so we are disappointed.

"We have to get strong defensively and offensively and get in combination good performances. Today is one part of the way. Not with the result we wanted but we have to accept it.

"There is still a lot of work to do, a lot of practice and matches. I think we are watching some improvement. Not enough but a lot of things will be positive."

• Listen to more from Emery on BBC Radio WM and BBC Sounds

Brentford are through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after beating fellow Premier League club Aston Villa in a penalty shootout.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Brentford's performance

What did you make of Aston Villa's display?

Come back on Wednesday for a selection of your replies

Brentford manager Keith Andrews was expected to use his full squad for this cup tie and has not disappointed. In total there are 10 changes from Saturday's draw with Chelsea.

Sepp van den Berg is the only player retained. Vitaly Janelt plays for the first time since April after a heel injury.

Nineteen-year-old academy product Benjamin Arthur makes his first-team debut.

Brentford XI: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Van den Berg, Arthur, Ajer, Henry, Janelt, Milambo, Onyeka, Carvalho, Ouattara.

Subs: Kelleher, Schade, Jensen, Nelson, Yarmoliuk, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Kayode.

Jadon Sancho, meanwhile, makes his debut for Aston Villa - his first appearance for any club this season. There is also a full debut for fellow new signing Harvey Elliott, who came off the bench at Everton on Saturday.

Emi Martinez, Tyrone Mings, Lucas Digne, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Emi Buendia and Ollie Watkins all drop out of the Villa XI.

Aston Villa XI: Bizot, Cash, Konsa, Maatsen, Bogarde, Elliott, McGinn, Malen, Sancho, Guessand.

Subs: Proctor, Mings, Buendia, Watkins, Digne, Jimoh, Rogers, Kamara, Borland.

Watch former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith give his take on the club's start to the season on BBC Radio Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"Villa have obviously got stung by the PSR rules," he said. "I looked at the squad earlier in the season and there was a few of the younger players on the bench when they've had a few injuries.

"Once the team comes back - Ollie Watkins guarantees you 15 goals a season.

"It's not all doom and gloom."

And former Premier League striker Chris Sutton broke down Villa's goalscoring woes so far this season.

HE said: "Everybody looks at the lack of goals but are they creating enough?

"I'd argue they haven't and it is an issue - hence the late moves [in the transfer window]."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The EFL Cup has usually come at the bottom of Aston Villa's priority list.

Not that it should be - it was the last major trophy they lifted in 1996 - but under Unai Emery they have only beaten Wycombe Wanderers in the competition.

Emery came to Villa just under three years ago declaring he wanted to end their trophy drought.

This year, Villa need the competition to kick-start their season after a four-game goalless start to the campaign leaves them second bottom of the Premier League.

One of those games was a 1-0 defeat at Brentford - where they travel to in the third round later on Tuesday.

Victory, however it comes, is paramount for Villa, who are in the stickiest period of Emery's reign - the Spaniard having taken them to the Conference League semi-finals and Champions League quarter-finals in previous seasons.

After facing the Bees, Villa travel to Sunderland on Saturday, before starting their Europa League campaign at home to Bologna next week.

Progress would set up a week which could change the mood at Villa.

It will be a much-changed team from the 0-0 draw at Everton on Saturday - expect deadline day arrivals Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho get a start.

Hannah Gowen
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

On the penultimate day of the summer transfer window, Emi Martinez's fate at Aston Villa appeared to be written in stone. Following omission from the matchday squad against Crystal Palace, Villa fans began plotting a bitter break-up with the previously beloved goalkeeper.

And yet, on Saturday, Martinez returned to the starting XI against Everton. Despite Unai Emery's firm support for Marco Bizot in the previous gameweek, it felt inevitable that the boss would revert back to his number 23 if available.

Loyalty in football is a complex beast. In a deeply tribalistic sport, rooted in community and passion, players are often placed on pedestals and lauded for their commitment to the badge. Equally, we have seen players shunned for wanting a move.

All of this is more amplified than ever in the modern game, with fans connected to players through social media and an abundance of content that brings us closer to our clubs' stars.

In reality, true loyalty in football is a rare concept. One-club players are few and far between, and agents are constantly looking for the next best thing for their clients. Whether it is trophies, bigger pay packets or more game time, players will have their eyes on future moves.

Martinez's performance and clean sheet against Everton were a bargaining chip to get back into the hearts of Villa fans who felt hurt by his failed attempts to leave the club - a place that has worshipped him as a modern legend.

While a few taps of the badge and a clap towards travelling fans may only paper over the cracks left in his relationship with fans, his showing at Hill Dickinson Stadium was the first step towards repairing what may have been broken.

"The world's number one" needs to put in a few more of those shifts before he is in the clear, but there is little room for sentimentality in football. As long as he pulls on the shirt and gives his all for the club this season, I won't hold a grudge.

Find more from Hannah Gowen at UTV, external

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Aston Villa have failed to score in their opening four league games for the first time in their history.

After four games last season, they had scored seven goals, but it is not just finishing that has been the problem.

If Villa had taken their chances like they did last season and matched their xG numbers, they still would have scored just three goals.

The other missing four goals are because of them creating both fewer and worse-quality chances, which we can see by the fact they have had just four big chances compared to 16 at this stage last season.

However, while Villa fans might think this is a bad omen for the season to come, the opposite is actually true.

Villa are just the fifth side to fail to score in their first four games of a Premier League season but not only did all of the previous four survive, they all finished comfortably in mid-table.

Steven Wyeth
Final Score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Unai Emery declared himself "happy" before Saturday's game at Everton that Emiliano Martinez remained an Aston Villa player. Afterwards, he must have been ecstatic.

Martinez returned to the Villa goal at Hill Dickinson Stadium after late transfer window uncertainty about his future, missing the defeat by Crystal Palace amid an apparent flirtation with a move to Manchester United.

Emery's decision to put that aside and recall his first-choice goalkeeper proved a wise one, as without him Villa would arguably have been beaten. If you are not scoring goals - and Villa are the only English league side without one - then you must keep them out at the other end.

Martinez produced world-class saves to turn aside a deflected Jack Grealish strike and Michael Keane's second-half header, helping to earn his team a point. As Villa look to rediscover their mojo, they are at least still building from a solid foundation.

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Everton and Aston Villa.

Here are some of your comments:

Everton fans

Steve: Another good performance, creating quite a few great chances, unfortunately we do not have a centre-forward who will take these chances! Beto just isn't good enough - his finishing is woeful! I'm not convinced Thierno Barry will be any better. I would have taken a punt on Jamie Vardy.

Greg: We did OK but we miss the killer instinct. Should have got Vardy for a season. He would have scored but it's a work in progress. Most players played really well. Idrissa Gueye is unbelievable. Thought David Moyes may have given Tyler Dibling 20 minutes. Save him for next week.

Lee: The perils of not getting a striker in. Beto does his best but should have finished at least two of those chances! Two points dropped in the end.

Blue: It shows how far we have come under Moyes that the result is slightly disappointing. Villa are a decent side and the miss early in the game could have changed everything, but it let us down. Michael Keane played really well, as did the rest, so we should grab the point and go again. It's only Liverpool next!

Villa fans

Matt: Another lacklustre display. Grateful to come away with a point. Starting to worry about where the goals are going to come from.

Peter: I am not sure where a win is coming from. I think the problem is midfield. If we do not get a win in our next home game I can see that we will be in a relegation fight. The truth is that the forwards are not getting enough chances. Delivery into the box is poor. There is no doubt that the players on the pitch on Saturday should be doing better.

Cassie: It's a game best forgotten, and Villa were lucky to have got a point. Emiliano Martinez saved Villa from a loss in a game of no creativity and no sign of improvement from our last match. Harvey Elliott must start the next game, and Ollie Watkins could find himself on the bench. Already, Villa are in a relegtion battle - not going to be a good season.

Adam: More fight and organisation about Villa. Martinez back to his best. Forward players were toothless. Unai Emery needs to stop shoe-horning John McGinn and Morgan Rogers into the team and have the nerve to drop one of them.

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

The worry for Unai Emery is that at no point against Everton, did Aston Villa seriously threaten to alter the barren sequence that has made their start to the season so disappointing. The intensity and vibrant approach that has been their trademark was totally absent.

At this stage of last season Villa had scored seven goals and had 16 big chances, measured by Opta. This season they have had four of those opportunities in four games.

Emery tried to paint a rosy picture, but for a club of such high ambition this has been a misfiring start to a season which held - and still holds - high hopes.

Villa started with Ollie Watkins up front, but he was an invisible figure until he was substituted seven minutes from time. This was not entirely the England striker's fault as service was non-existent.

Emery introduced Harvey Elliott, Villa's deadline-day loan signing from Liverpool, to introduce some pep into his side's forward movement. He delivered a couple of darting runs, but this performance was beyond redemption by then.

Morgan Rogers, excellent for England in the 5-0 win against Serbia in Belgrade, could not exert any influence, leaving Everton keeper Jordan Pickford redundant apart from some routine handling and an attempt to unsettle Villa with some late launched clearances.

It was Everton pushing for victory, betrayed by their own cutting edge, while Villa held on for the point that satisfied Emery.

What will not satisfy Emery is that this now constitutes Villa's worst start to a Premier League season since 1997-98.

Emery, this wily and outstanding operator, will know the problems and will try to address what is currently a glaring weakness, but he must do it quickly with an away trip to Brentford in the Carabao Cup followed by a testing league visit to newly promoted Sunderland.

Villa, on this evidence, are a pale shadow of the side who performed so well in last season's Champions League and who came so close to reaching Europe's elite tournament this term.

Pundits Ashley Williams and Shay Given join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Everton 0-0 Aston Villa

• Newcastle 1-0 Wolves

• West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was a picture of agitated frustration in his technical area as his side produced another shot-shy performance which leaves them without a league goal this season.

Villa were ragged, uninspired and, had they got anything more than a point against Everton, it would have ranked as grand larceny.

No matter what Emery tried - even introducing deadline-day loan signing from Liverpool, Harvey Elliott, late on - it still failed to galvanise a side looking a shadow of the energetic, vibrant outfit that have illuminated the Premier League in recent seasons.

In the end they were grateful to Emiliano Martinez, seemingly back in the good books with Villa fans after falling from favour when he tried to seek a move away from Villa Park, for an excellent performance, highlighted by that second-half save from Michael Keane.

Emery needs to find a winning formula and fast as the season has been a slog for a club of such high ambition, although a point may be of some consolation after defeats at Brentford and at home to Crystal Palace.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery spoke to BBC Match of the Day after his side's draw with Everton: "We competed very well. Again, the goalkeeper [Emiliano Martinez] coming back playing a fantastic match.

"He saved us a lot of times. He made us confident we could play with our identity. Of course, we need defence and a lot of corners and a throw-in defence compact like we did. We need to get more confidence to play with the ball.

"Get more in their box - this is now our next step forward after a lot of difficulties we have had. I am so happy because we played compact and we played committed. The players followed the game plan we had.

"Of course, offensively we need more. We need to try to help out strikers, wingers and midfielders. [I am] happy because we competed and this it the first step forward."

On Youri Tielemans: "Yes, he is injured. We have some players injured and out. Amadou Onana and Boubacar Kamara are going to come back.

"Youri is going to be out some matches. We need to feel confidence playing with different players.

"We are going to work, and we know inside the problem we have."

Did you know?

• Everton (111) and Aston Villa (110) have featured in more 0-0 draws than any other sides in Premier League history.

• Even more, Villa have failed to score in their opening four league games to a season for also the first time in their history. Meanwhile, they're the fifth side to do so in the Premier League after Sheffield Wednesday (1993-94), Newcastle United (2005-06), Swansea City (2011-12) and Crystal Palace (2017-18).

Hear more from Emery on BBC Sounds

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Everton's performance

What did you make of Aston Villa's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies