That new Premier League anthem booms out over the PA system and handshakes are quickly exchanged.

Here's a quick reminder of the two teams before we kick off...

The Sunderland players are gagging to get on the pitch. The Black Cats disappeared back into the changing room after their warm-up a good five minutes before their opponents and are now ready and waiting in the Villa Park tunnel. Belatedly, the home players arrive and the players emerge into the Birmingham sun...

Guy Mowbray
BBC Match of the Day commentator

"Villa's 4-0 win at Sunderland in the sides' last meeting was Gus Poyet's last game as the Black Cats' boss, and a similar result might have Dick Advocaat seriously reconsidering his own future with the club.

"Whatever the outcome, it won't change the fact that he could do with adding to Friday's signing of Ola Toivonen with more new faces before Tuesday's transfer deadline.

"Tim Sherwood, meanwhile, seems to have completed his 'incoming' business successfully.

"The next step for ever-evolving Villa is to improve home form that's brought them just four wins from the last 18 league games at Villa Park."

Villa have fared slightly better than today's visitors, already with one win to their name following an opening-day success at Bournemouth. But defeats have followed against Manchester United and Crystal Palace, placing more significance on a game against a team that is also tipped to battle the threat of relegation over the next nine months.

"It's an important game but I'm not sure it's a landmark," says Villa boss Tim Sherwood. "The team got 10 points from four games last season and ended up struggling.

"It's not how you start, it's how you finish - and how you perform in the middle would help.

Three matches. One point. Eight goals conceded. Not the start to the new Premier League season that many Mackems hoped for - although the more pessimistic ones might have half expected it. But Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat is not worried about his porous team's start...

"In the last nine games last season the defence was brilliant so they cannot lose that in one or two weeks - they have to get a certain amount of resolve and I'm not that negative," says the Dutchman.

Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat, who insists he is not going to walk away from Wearside, looks deep in concentration as he surveys the Villa Park scene from the touchline. His players look focused and confident - no jovial grins or messing about - as they go through their final paces. They turn to give the vocal away end a hefty round of applause before pounding towards the tunnel like a group from your local running club on their weekly outing.

"The Black Cats are all over the place at the moment, and the three goals they conceded against Exeter in the League Cup were an example of that.

Villa had their own scare against lower division opposition in midweek and have been very up and down but, even in the games they have lost, they have been competitive and I am backing them to win this one."

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Think you can guess the outcome of this match? Have a go at our predictor game and you'll get a video message from one of the Match of the Day pundits at the end of the weekend rating your performance. 

Our resident Mystic Meg - Mark Lawrenson - is plumping for a 2-0 home win... 

From the outside it appears that there's hardly been loads to shout about for either set of supporters so far. Fair? But I'd imagine that it has been marginally better for the Villa mob than their Mackem counterparts. Let me know your early season thoughts on Twitter or by texting 81111. Thanks in advance...

Beautiful afternoon in the second city. It actually looks like summer - which makes a change. (That's a dig at this year's weather, not Birmingham). Both sets of players are going through their warm-up drills on the sun-soaked pitch, while one small Villa supporter swigs on a large bottle of water as dad and grandad chew the fat over the team news.

One change for Sunderland from their 1-1 home draw against Swansea - and it comes at the heart of their leaky defence. Summer signing Younes Kaboul returns in place of Sebastian Coates, while new signing Ola Toivonen must be content with a place on the bench.  

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Slick-haired midfielder Jack Grealish and pacy forward Gabby Agbonlahor might be suffering - sure we will find out soon enough. The pair drop out of the squad as Villa make two changes from the 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace, right-back Alan Hutton and winger Scott Sinclair starting instead.  

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That sort of phone call was one which Tim Sherwood was hoping to avoid this morning. 

The Aston Villa boss revealed yesterday that a sickness bug had swept through his camp, leaving him sweating on the availability of a number of players ahead of today's Premier League match against Sunderland.

And it appears that a couple of his homegrown players might have not been able to shake off an illness...

Image source, Getty

"Morning boss - it's me. Yep, afraid it is bad news. I'm not going to make work this morning.

"I've been up all night throwing up. No, I didn't have a heavy session on the booze. Must be a sickness bug going round..."