Sunderland look to proceed their spectacular begin to life again within the top-flight towards goal-shy Aston Villa. BBC Sport takes a have a look at the important thing speaking factors going into this fixture.
Sunderland’s tally of seven factors from 4 matches is their joint greatest after 4 video games of a Premier League season, whereas it has been 70 years since they final accrued extra factors at this stage of a top-flight marketing campaign (assuming three factors for a win).
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One other victory would see them begin a top-flight season with three straight residence victories for the primary time since 1965-66. Remarkably, it could additionally match their tally of victories on the Stadium of Mild throughout the entire of their final Premier League marketing campaign in 2016-17.
Though they did not have a shot on track of their creditable goalless draw at they’ve scored 5 objectives from simply 9 pictures on track in league matches this season with solely (64%) changing a better share than the Black Cats’ 56%.
Issues on the different finish of the pitch have been equally as encouraging, with two clear sheets in 4 video games matching their tally of their earlier 14 Premier League matches mixed.
Essential to that has been new signing Robin Roefs. The 22-year-old Dutch keeper has taken to the English high flight beautifully and he prevented an anticipated 1.59 objectives at Selhurst Park.
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The darkish clouds proceed to type over Aston Villa after their EFL Cup exit on penalties at on Tuesday. They did a minimum of discover the again of the online for the primary time this season, however their drought within the league stretches to 466 minutes and 49 pictures.
For the primary time of their historical past, they’ve failed to attain of their opening 4 league video games to a season. Failing to take action as soon as once more on the Stadium of Mild would see them grow to be simply the third workforce in top-flight historical past to start a marketing campaign goalless of their first 5 league video games, after in 1970-71 and Crystal Palace in 2017-18.
Unai Emery’s aspect have really had extra pictures after 4 video games than Sunderland, in addition to Brentford and Crystal Palace. A few of their attacking metrics are additionally up on their glorious 2024-25 marketing campaign, however regardless of getting the ball into the field extra usually, issues are simply not clicking. Their xG of two.97 is the second worst within the high flight.
[BBC]