Overview
- Head coach Régis Le Bris confirmed Dan Ballard and Enzo Le Fée are available, with Luke O'Nien still at least a week or two from returning.
- Sunderland have seven points from four matches and two home wins; victory would bring three straight top-flight home wins to start a season for the first time since 1965–66 and could make Le Bris the first SAFC boss since Ian McColl to win his first three home top-flight games.
- Aston Villa remain without a Premier League goal after four matches and exited the Carabao Cup on penalties to Brentford, with BBC noting a 466-minute league drought and one of the division’s lowest xG totals.
- Unai Emery called the start "a little bit" strange but said the team is progressing, while Le Bris labeled Villa a top-six side and warned Sunderland must be at their best.
- Kickoff is Sunday at 14:00 BST at the Stadium of Light, with mixed reports on Villa’s midfield availability, including doubts over Youri Tielemans, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley and conflicting updates on Boubacar Kamara.