Sunderland vs. Aston Villa: Unai Emery at risk of joining unwanted list in Premier League game

Aston Villa will be bidding to avoid joining an unwanted list when they face Sunderland in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

Before the start of the season, Unai Emery suggested that his Villa squad were not capable of finishing in the top seven of the Premier League table, despite their efforts during the previous three campaigns.

However, the Spaniard's concerns have since proven true with the West Midlands outfit failing to win any of their opening four games.

As well as only collecting points from draws against Newcastle United and Everton, Villa have also failed to score a single goal in the top flight.

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Villa targeting end of unwanted streak

Including the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United on the final day of last season, Villa are now on their longest run without scoring a league goal since between December 2014 and February 2015.

Should they fail to net at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, Villa will become only the third team in English top-flight history to fail to score in their opening five matches of a season.

That undesirable feat has only been achieved by Ipswich Town in 1970-71 and Crystal Palace in 2017-18.

Sunderland are looking to achieve a rare feat themselves, which would be a third successive home win in the Premier League for the first time since 2012.

Nevertheless, the Black Cats have only prevailed in one of their most recent 12 league encounters with Villa, that being their most recent Premier League game in January 2016.

Furthermore, Sunderland have not won their opening three home fixtures in a top-flight season since all the way back in 1965-66.

No newly-promoted team has achieved that feat since Burnley did so in 2009-10, and the odds are not totally in Sunderland's favour when it comes to ending that run on Sunday.

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Emery boasts incredible record against newly-promoted sides

Since replacing Steven Gerrard as Villa manager in November 2022, Emery has managed 15 Premier League games against newly-promoted teams.

During that time, Villa have not suffered a single defeat, recording 12 wins and three draws, a streak that Emery will be eager to extend.

Ollie Watkins has also provided six goals and six assists from his last nine Premier League appearances against such opposition, yet he remains without a goal for Villa this season.