“Stelling Speaks Out: His Unexpected Take on Sunderland vs Aston Villa Has Fans Talking!”

Sunderland Set to Host Aston Villa as Jeff Stelling Predicts a Stalemate

Sunderland welcome Aston Villa to the Stadium of Light on Sunday afternoon, looking to maintain their solid start to the Premier League season. Broadcaster Jeff Stelling believes the Black Cats can continue their impressive early form, predicting a draw in this weekend’s clash.

Regis Le Bris’ side return to home turf after earning seven points from their first four league matches. Their most recent outing ended in a goalless draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, and they remain unbeaten at home following victories over West Ham and Brentford.

Aston Villa, on the other hand, have endured a challenging start to their campaign. They are still searching for their first league goal of the season and currently sit 19th in the table after two draws and two defeats. Their struggles continued in midweek as they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on penalties by Brentford.

Jeff Stelling’s Verdict on Sunderland vs Aston Villa

Previewing the game on talkSPORT, Jeff Stelling noted Villa’s ongoing struggles in front of goal and backed Sunderland to frustrate them once more.

“Sunday at 2 o’clock sees Sunderland take on Aston Villa,” Stelling said. “Villa are the only team across the top seven divisions in England yet to score a goal this season. In their last game at Everton, they managed just a single shot on target.

“To be fair, that’s still one more than Sunderland had at Crystal Palace in their 0-0 draw. Villa are sure to find their form eventually, but Sunderland will need to be as solid and disciplined as they were last weekend. If they can match that resilience—and I think they will—I can see another goalless draw. My prediction: Sunderland 0-0 Aston Villa.”

Regis Le Bris Reflects on the Draw at Crystal Palace

Speaking after the stalemate in South London, Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris highlighted the different phases of the match and praised his team’s defensive effort.

“Every match presents its own challenges, and facing Crystal Palace away was perhaps the toughest test we’ve had so far this season,” said Le Bris.

“We had two distinct halves—early on, we showed good quality in possession, but the second half unfolded as we expected. Palace built momentum through set-pieces, direct play, and counter-attacks, particularly with Mateta. They were smart and effective in that style.

“Despite that pressure, we stayed united, defended well, made key saves, and blocked shots. That collective effort was a crucial part of the performance.”