Afternoon friends, and welcome to our live coverage of this big game at Villa Park. Hopefully it's not too outlandish to suggest both sides could do with a win, even this early in the season...
Premier League / Matchday 4
Villa Park / 29.08.2015
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- S. Sinclair(12' PEN, 41')
Live
Live Updates
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Updated 29/08/2015 at 16:51 GMT+1
23'
Sunderland try to go long for Lens, but Guzan is alert and sweeps up the danger.
18'
Sinclair has a shot blocked by Jones, and Westwood slashes wide from the edge of the box soon after. Sunderland really up against it at the minute.
14'
This game shows no signs of settling down. Gestede nearly flicks the ball down for Bacuna, but the midfielder wastes his sight of goal.
11'
GOAL! 1-1! Sinclair sends Pantilimon the wrong way, and Villa are back on terms inside four minutes!
11'
PENALTY! Instant response from Villa! Van Aanholt is forced to concede a penalty, and from the resulting corner Cattermole is guilty of a clumsy holding foul on Scott Sinclair. Sinclair to take...
8'
GOAL! Sunderland lead! The visitors win a free-kick on the edge of the box, and Yann M'Vila curls a shot beautifully around the wall and inside Brad Guzan's near post! 1-0 Sunderland!
6'
An okay start from Sunderland, with Lens - lively early on - nearly finding Defoe with another low cross. But Villa then put their foot on the ball and pass it around, asserting a bit of control on the game.
3'
A dangerous cross from Jeremain Lens is well cleared by Ciaran Clark. Steady, unspectacular start here from both sides.
1'
We're underway. Sunderland are in a pretty garish green kit. Not great.
14:59
The players are out on the pitch, and we're nearly ready to go. Villa players in a huddle ahead of this home game.
14:48
Jermain Defoe starts, after hitting back at those who criticised/laughed at his advert for a PA this week:
"I'll hold my hand up - I can't do admin or accounts or stuff like that. I need help to do that, and hopefully that help will in turn help to change lives in St Lucia. That's my passion away from football, but I need help to do that.
"Am I really doing something that bad? A boy from East London trying to get on in life and do good things?
"I've read that I can't do this or can't do that, but yeah, I do pack my own fridge, and yeah, I do go and get the shopping near where I live, most days with my girlfriend."
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Image credit: PA Sport
14:42
Sunderland linked with Kevin Nolan in today's media reports...
14:37
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
14:30
Meanwhile, Dick Advocaat insists he is in it for the long haul at Sunderland.
"I never said that I will quit this club. I hope I can stay until the end of the season. Honestly. This is a great club, I really mean that. I have been at many great clubs but this is a really special one."
14:30
So it looks like Aston Villa haven't been hugely affected by the virus that was going around the squad, although Sherwood has been forced to make a couple of changes.
"Traore's injured and we've got a couple of players who are not here today because they're ill. Unfortunately, we've got a little bit of an illness going around the training camp and we're hoping that they will be alright for tomorrow.
"There's a couple who are not well now and I'd rather they weren't well now than tomorrow. It must be a bug going around, we just hope that it's found its way to the north east [Sunderland]."
14:20
Always got to have a picture of the teamsheet. Two Jordans and two Joes on the bench for Villa.
14:15
Looks like a nice day for it at Villa Park, at the very least.