Sunderland are arriving for the next episode of Aston Villa 2025-26.
Sunday afternoon will give us another opportunity to appreciate Unai Emery’s genius. Three days earlier we played a European quarter-final and teams in such circumstances are usually a bit knackered.
Not so the Villa, partly due to having been so much better than Bologna but mainly because of Unai’s belief in doing just enough. Although it might make the football a bit monotonous at times, it means minor problems like two games a week, almost every week, are nothing to worry about. It’ll happen again here.
This week it’s Sunderland’s turn to act as supporting cast on the big stage. Unlike most of the opposition we get they’ve got a long history and took part in the oldest football painting in the world, albeit in a minor role. They’ve also got decent supporters, despite having their close rivals being so obnoxious and sleeping giant-y, something that sounds familiar. And they’ve done a decent job of staying in the Premier League this season. Well done, plucky little Sunderland. Long may you flourish.
Their manager had a spectacularly anonymous playing career and hadn’t done much since then, before he got this job. Bertrand Traore, one of our former players who got left behind on the march to glory, plays for them occasionally and Neil Cutler is their goalkeeping coach. Their previous managers have included Steve Bruce, Martin O’Neill and Michael Beale. Remember him? And they’ve had one of those matches here where you can remember the attendance, in this case 57,266.
While a team would normally make a few changes after the week we’ve had, this is the Villa. Unai might rest a couple but that’s about it, although there is of course the possibility that another one or two might get injured before Sunday, or possibly during it. This promises to be another one of those matches where we do just enough and no more; three points and the Champions League gets a bit nearer.
