Sunderland welcome Aston Villa at Stadium of Light, Sunderland on Saturday, Feb 6 at 4:00 PM in a Premier League fixture that's tighter on paper than the positions suggest — just 0 points split them in the table.

Sunderland come into this fixture struggling badly (1W 3L in last 5). Aston Villa are struggling badly (1W 3L in last 5), making this a relatively even contest on current form. Sunderland head into this on the back of a defeat, while Aston Villa arrive off a win — momentum clearly with the visitors.

Despite playing at home, Sunderland face a side that has dominated this fixture historically. Aston Villa have won 5 of 10 encounters, with 4 draws. Their last encounter ended in Sunderland won 3–4. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 3.8 per game in recent meetings.

Verdict: This looks an evenly matched contest. Home advantage gives Sunderland a slight edge, but Aston Villa are capable of causing problems. A draw would be a fair result.