Sunderland

Prudent Nsengiyumva
BBC Sport journalist

A Sunderland side still in contention for European qualification face improving Nottingham Forest at the Stadium of Light on Friday (20:00 BST). Both sides are looking to hold their nerve in the closing stages of the season to achieve their goals.

Can Sunderland rediscover home strength?

The Stadium of Light has been a key asset for Sunderland this season, but that advantage has waned in recent weeks. Regis le Bris' side have lost three of their past four home league games after beginning the campaign unbeaten in their first 12.

Despite the recent wobble, their overall home record remains impressive. Winning their final three home games would take Sunderland to 38 points at the Stadium of Light – the best home return by a promoted Premier League side since Ipswich Town and Charlton Athletic in 2000-01.

Defensive vulnerability is a concern, though. Sunderland have conceded four or more goals in five of their past 13 league matches, highlighting a need for greater control against opponents who tend to thrive on the counter-attack.

Rigg matching club history at 18

Chris Rigg's emergence has been one of Sunderland's standout stories this season. At 18 years and 305 days, his fine goal against Aston Villa last weekend made him just the third teenager to score in the Premier League for the club, after Michael Bridges and Connor Wickham.

Forest aiming to extend unbeaten run

Nottingham Forest remain in the relegation fight, five points clear of the bottom three. However, Vitor Pereira's side are unbeaten in seven matches (W4, D3), their longest run since a nine-game stretch between December 2024 and January 2025.

That run has eased pressure as they also look ahead to a Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa.

Their 4–1 win over Burnley last time out was particularly important, marking the first time Forest had won a Premier League match by more than two goals after conceding first.

Morgan Gibbs White remains Forest's main attacking influence. His hat-trick against Burnley made him only the third player to score a Premier League treble for the club, after Kevin Campbell and Chris Wood.

With 12 league goals this season, the Forest captain is enjoying his most productive campaign.

Sunderland lost last week, in an absolute thriller against Aston Villa, but the way they fought back in that game kind of summed up why they have had such a good season.

They kept having a go and got back from 3-1 to 3-3 in the final few minutes before Villa's last-gasp winner.

Forest got in the goals last time out too, scoring four against Burnley, but this game feels like it will be far tighter and quite cagey.

A draw would be a decent result for Forest in the circumstances, with them sitting five points above Spurs, who are in the final relegation place.

Vitor Pereira's side have been tough to beat recently - they have not lost any of their past seven games and they have been good on the road too.

Even so, I have a sneaky feeling Sunderland will find a way of winning this one at home, and leave Forest with a bit more work to do.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Sunderland, Wolves and Bournemouth are among the clubs interested in signing 25-year-old Queens Park Rangers and Jamaica striker Rumarn Burrell. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Huzaifah Khan
BBC Sport journalist

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris has been speaking to the media before Friday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest at the Stadium of Light (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news, Le Bris confirmed Nilson Angulo and Bertrand Traore are close to returning and could be back on the training pitch next week. He added that Jocelin Ta Bi returned to training this week and "felt good, which is good news".

• The French boss confirmed several players were unwell for the defeat by Aston Villa but it showed how Sunderland now have "more options" who can come in and help "influence" games.

• On what losing the high-scoring game against Villa last weekend showed him, he said: "The league is really demanding. It's another reminder. We are moving forward and we are growing, and I think it shows good signs for the future."

• On the chaos surrounding other clubs who have sacked managers this season and whether he is proud of the job he has done to avoid that talk, Le Bris said he doesn't look at other clubs or "too far in the future".

• He added: "A strong project, clear identity, clear teamwork, so I'm not alone. It's an interesting job and the results can influence the judgement."

• Le Bris was also asked about full-back Dennis Cirkin's future with only 12 months remaining on his contract. He responded: "We'll see. It's a bit early to give a specific opinion because we never know, but at the minute it's clear that we have three strong full-backs and the competition is high, so it's hard to be the fourth in that situation. At the end of his contract, I don't know - the future is the future."

• Onn what he expects from Forest: "A strong team. They are in the semi-final of the Europa League, unbeaten in their past seven games and have nice, good players. They struggled at the beginning of the season, which shows how demanding this league is because if you don't get the momentum, you will chase the momentum and the confidence, the energy are sometimes a bit different and difficult to find. So they are getting better and it's clear they are now in good form, so it will be tactical. It will be demanding but an exciting challenge."

Hit play above to hear Le Bris speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentator Nick Barnes, or listen on BBC Sounds here

Explore all Sunderland content on BBC Sounds

Got a question about Sunderland? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

BBC Radio Newcastle's Nick Barnes feels Sunderland are "walking on a tightrope" following some of their recent decisions regarding fan interaction.

Interim CEO Tom Burwell's recent interview on the Business of Sport podcast, external shed some light on the Black Cats' desire to grow.

Burwell joined the Black Cats as a non-executive director in January 2026, following the announcement of chief business officer David Bruce's departure at the end of this season.

However, the club has come under scrutiny due to ticketing policies over recent weeks, with fans voicing their concern and disappointment.

A statement from The Red and White Army Supporters' Trust read: "We have heard from a number of long-standing season-ticket holders, who have encountered extremely poor customer service. Many of these supporters have had tickets for years and consistently backed the club through its most difficult periods. It is troubling to hear they now feel overlooked, particularly when seeking to move seats."

The Sunderland Echo also reported that two season-ticket holders, who were looking to relocate due to increasing costs in corporate areas, were told the club wouldn't accommodate moving them back into general admission and they would have to join the back of a 15,000 person waiting list.

Speaking on BBC Radio Newcastle's Total Sport, Barnes said: "The club has already said they stand by their original decisions.

"For me, they are walking a bit of a tightrope. They have made it into the Premier League and that fan connection, which Tom Burwell mentioned [in his interview], is already being tested.

"He speaks about how important the fans are to the club, so he will need to strike a balance between respecting their long-standing commitments and trying to increase revenue under SCR (squad cost ratio).

"There is no question there are issues. Most people would say the club needs to take a step back and look at how these situations have been handled, because I don't think it's been very good PR."

Ex-striker Marco Gabbiadini added: "I don't think there were any surprises told. It is obviously easier to be connected with your fanbase when you're doing well.

"For me, it is about getting that balance between keeping the core base of fans happy and looking at the bigger picture.

"We all want to see better players and new signings, fans are more guilty of that than anyone because they want to see progression, but you have to get the little things right as well.

"You don't want to change the mood of the support because it is so good at the moment."

Listen to snippets of Tom Burwell's interview by pressing play above or access it here on BBC Sounds

You can also hear the thoughts of Sunderland fan Ian Smith by clicking on the play icon below.

Sunderland could sack French manager Regis Le Bris at the end of the season, if he fails to secure European football for the club. (Talksport, external)

Want more stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini says he "felt a bit sorry" for Habib Diarra after his attempted chip over Emi Martinez was saved with the score at 3-3 in Sunday's defeat by Aston Villa.

After being played clean through on goal by Enzo Le Fe, Diarra tried to scoop the ball over the oncoming goalkeeper but was thwarted and just 36 seconds later Tammy Abraham scored a stoppage time winner for the hosts.

Wayne Rooney described the effort as "absolutely the wrong decision", while some have pointed to teammate Chemsdine Talbi who was waiting alongside him for a tap-in if the ball was squared.

"I felt a bit sorry for him," said Gabbiadini.

"I heard a lot of comments from people saying he should have passed it to Talbi. Talbi was nowhere near him until the last second. He had to make the decision of what he was going to do and Talbi made up the ground.

"I don't think he saw Talbi, he was so clear. For me usually what you try and do there is play it through the legs if you can and keep it low. If you bring the goalkeeper's arms into it then they are covering more of that space. Martinez is a top goalkeeper.

"He could have chipped it over Martinez and it still not go over the line because he was so far out still. He could have had another touch. Play it through his legs, play it at his feet. You've got a chance of it rebounding to you.

"If you play it at the goalkeeper's hands at that pace they gobble the ball up.

"It was an unusual choice for somebody who is not experienced with one-on-ones. It was a great opportunity after a great pass from Le Fe. He will be disappointed but next time it might be different.

"It's hard to criticise. I don't think the Talbi pass was in his mind because he didn't arrive on the scene until he was ready to pull the trigger."

Listen to the full chat below or on BBC Sounds

Gavin Henderson
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

I hate losing, but I don't especially mind getting beaten if I can come away and say the lads gave their all and I think that we can say that without any doubt that they did on Sunday.

All three of Sunderland's goals were quality and it gave me a sense of pride when all three goalscorers were lads who came through the EFL with us and have successfully made the step up.

Chris Rigg's first-ever Premier League goal was a corker. I think he's really turned a corner recently and you can see the stark improvement in his all-round game in recent weeks. That was the finish of a proper top-level footballer in the making and the type of goal I've been wishing we'd see from him all season.

Similarly, Trai Hume's first goal in the top flight was a belting finish. He's got so much more in his locker than a tough tackle and this finish was proof of that - he absolutely spanked it past Emiliano Martinez, who is one of the best goalkeepers on the planet.

Then came the Wilson Isidor goal, which really ought to have earned us at least a point. Considering he's not scored since October, and has barely had a sniff recently, that was the finish of a player who is capable of performing at the top level if he's switched on and you give him the right kind of opportunities. It was typical Isidor - quick, alert, off the shoulder of the last man and an instinctive finish.

Aston Villa, a team that looks certain to finish in a Champions League spot, have so much quality. Right now, they're at a different level than us and there's no shame in losing to them. Yet this season, I'd bet they haven't had too many tougher challenges over the two games than Sunderland and I think that says a lot about how good we actually are.

Instead of dwelling on the negatives this week, I'm going to carry all of these positives forward as we head towards the Nottingham Forest game, because we know we're capable of taking three points and putting ourselves even closer to the teams above us and, importantly, those European places.

Find more from Gavin Henderson at Roker Report, external

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Aston Villa and Sunderland.

Here are some of your comments:

Villa fans

Sebastian: A totally crazy game - with Villa dominating and a performance from McGinn worth two players. But you get sloppy and in this league you get punished against the run of play, hence the beauty of football and the uselessness of XG and any other invented measures apart from the only one that actually counts. Great positioning for Villa's goals, if we never see Sancho again I can live with that. Onwards and up the Villa.

Kim: Phew, what a result. Villa looked to be in control and comfortable and then two lapses in concentration left Sunderland with chances to win. Great to see Villa fighting to the end and not settling for the draw. Great finish by Tammy with a deft touch for the win. Amazing performance by Ollie Watkins and good saves by Emi too. Exciting end to the season looms.

Ian: Well what a rollercoaster of a game! Credit to Sunderland who I think have been one of the better sides to come to Villa Park. Having said that we had enough opportunities in the second half to make it a much easier win but got the job done in the end. Watkins and McGinn were outstanding so let's keep the momentum and confidence until the end of season. Keep the faith!

Matt: Wow. Not a game for the faint-hearted! A game well controlled by Villa up until the substitution and introduction of Sancho. What a waste of space. Not up to the pace, needs to go. On the other hand, Abraham and Digne linking up beautifully to save his blushes, stealing the points after nearly throwing them away but for a world class piece of goalkeeping from Martinez. Breathe...UTV.

Sunderland fans

Gilly: At last Regis le Bris has given us a team who believe in themselves as much as the fans believe in them. To Regis, thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you.

Malcolm: I'm sure players respond to Regis because once the game starts he largely lets them express themselves. He's unlike many/most managers who try to orchestrate every move made turning players into robots. This calming approach must give our squad a great sense of being trusted and respected. Le Bris is bringing to us a whole new ball game. His post match comments are never less than intelligent, elegant, and he's ours.

Geoff: Great game for the neutral, and to be honest, if anyone told me we'd be competing for a place in Europe having avoided the drop two games ago, I'd snatch their hands off. Very proud to be a Mackem!

Stuart: Never saw that comeback materialising but our motto is "til the end". Probably didn't deserve a draw so fair play to Villa but it's been a magnificent season. Ha'way The Lads.

Sunderland midfielder Noah Sadiki says he has "mixed feelings" after the defeat by Aston Villa because they were so close to getting something out of the game after working their way back into it.

The Black Cats scored in the 86th and 87th minutes to level the game at 3-3 from 3-1 down, but were undone a few minutes later by a deflected shot off Villa substitute Tammy Abraham.

They even had the chance to win it just seconds before Abraham's goal when Habib Diarra had a one-on-one chance saved by Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez, while team-mate Chemsdine Talbi would have had an open goal if Diarra had passed.

Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, Sadiki said: "It was fun to watch and play against a good opponent with great players on the pitch.

"I think we can start better than we have in the last few games and we need to improve on it. They [Villa] exposed it because they are a good team, but we can't afford to do it again.

"We scored once and then all of a sudden we were level with them which is a great feeling. We had another chance which we didn't take and then they punished us again.

"It's mixed feelings. I think we showed mentality and that we can do it but it's all small margins."

Listen to Sadiki on BBC Sounds

Explore more Sunderland content on BBC Sounds

Pundits Wayne Rooney and Danny Murphy join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Manchester City 2-1 Arsenal

• Aston Villa 4-3 Sunderland

• Nottingham Forest 4-1 Burnley

• Everton 1-2 Liverpool

Josef Rindl
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Having recorded back-to-back wins over Newcastle and Tottenham before their loss at Villa, Sunderland are still very much in the race for European football next season.

The Black Cats are 11th but only two points behind Chelsea in sixth.

Sunday's match was a case of what might have been.

When through on goal, Habib Diarra tried to lob Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez but sent his effort straight to the Argentine stopper. Meanwhile, team-mate Chemsdine Talbi was waiting alongside him for a tap-in.

There were 58 seconds between Sunderland's second and third goals.

There were 36 seconds between Martinez's save and Abraham's winner.

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris, speaking to Match of the Day: "Disappointed because we had the opportunity to win the game, just with this one-v-one with Habib [Diarra]. But the opposite way, we conceded the late goal.

"We showed good character and resilience, some good quality at times, but we felt the strength of Aston Villa and they created many chances. A bit too much to be competitive at the end of this game."

On starting the first and second half poorly: ""We didn't start well, first or second half. When you concede a goal straight after half-time it's always difficult. At 3-1, with only one goal, you can change the dynamic and know it's possible. Our team won't give up."

On Diarra's chance: "It's a one-v-one. I'm not sure it's the best decision, but it is what it is. You need to accept the output of the action because the goalkeeper was good as well."

"We are learning, we are still a newly promoted side and going away to Villa is a tough place. Ups and downs. We played with our identity until the end, took risks."

Did you know?

• Sunderland only conceded 3+ goals in a match in one of their first 20 games of this Premier League season (0-3 v Man City), but have since conceded 3+ times in five of their last 13 matches.

• Chris Rigg (18y 305d) became the third youngest player to score for Sunderland in the Premier League, after Michael Bridges (18y 117d in November 1996) and Connor Wickham (18y 212d in October 2011). He also equalled Michael Bridges in 1996-97 for the most Premier League starts for Sunderland while aged 18 or younger in a single campaign (10 each).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Villa's performance

What did you make of Sunderland's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Aston Villa make three changes from their midweek win over Bologna. Tyrone Mings, Ian Maatsen and Ross Barkley come into the side.

Lucas Digne and Emi Buendia drop to the bench. Pau Torres misses out.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen, McGinn, Onana, Tielemans, Barkley, Watkins, Rogers.

Subs: Bizot, Lindelof, Buendia, Digne, Abraham, Sancho, Luiz, Bogarde, Bailey.

As for Sunderland, well they're unchanged from their 1-0 win over Tottenham last weekend.

Sunderland XI: Roefs, O'Nien, Mukiele, Alderete, Mandava; Sadiki, Xhaka, Rigg, Diarra, Le Fee, Brobbey.

Subs: Ellborg, Cirkin, Ballard, Geertruida, Talbi, Mayenda, Isidor, Hume, Jones.

I was at the Stadium of Light for the reverse fixture earlier in the season and Sunderland played really well with 10 men in a 1-1 draw.

I watched the Black Cats again against Tottenham last week, and they are so well organised. They don't give a lot away.

I can see this being another tight game, but Aston Villa are at home and they really need a win to strengthen their grip on a Champions League place.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

There are four games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Aston Villa v Sunderland

• Everton v Liverpool

• Nottingham Forest v Burnley

• Man City v Arsenal (16:30 BST)

Kick-off times 14:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction to the early games here and the late match here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Everton v Liverpool" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Man City v Arsenal", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Prudent Nsengiyumva
BBC Sport Journalist

Aston Villa host Sunderland on Sunday (14:00 BST) as both sides approach the closing weeks of the Premier League season with clear ambitions. Villa are aiming to protect a strong position in the quest for Champions League qualification, while Sunderland have momentum and want to keep their dream of European football alive.

Will Villa hold their nerve?

With six games remaining, Aston Villa remain well placed to secure Champions League qualification, holding a seven-point cushion prior to the weekend. Having missed out on a top-five finish on goal difference last season, there is added incentive not to surrender their place so late on this time.

Recent form, however, explains why the race is not yet settled. After being eight points clear of fourth and 11 ahead of sixth after 21 matches, Villa have taken just 12 points from their last 11 league games, the fifth-worst return in the division over that period.

But the issue seems to have been game management rather than control. Since the start of February, only Newcastle have dropped more points from winning positions than the seven by Villa, who have won just two of their last five matches after taking the lead.

Unai Emery's record against promoted sides provides reassurance. Villa have never lost a Premier League match to a promoted team under him (W14, D5), with their last such defeat coming against Fulham in Steven Gerrard's last game in charge in October 2022.

Yet Sunderland offer a note of caution, being one of only three Premier League opponents the Spaniard has faced without recording a league win. They drew in the reverse fixture early this season.

Villa stalwarts making their mark

Striker Ollie Watkins' form has been up and down but he scored for the fourth time in as many games on Thursday night as Villa reached the Europa League semi-finals. In doing so, he became the club's first centurion since Peter McParland in the early 1960s.

John McGinn is another player whose importance to Villa is immense. Their reliance on the Scot is stark: a 56% win rate with him involved this season, compared to 28.6% without him.

History on the line for Sunderland

Sunderland are buoyant, sitting two points outside the Europa League places after collecting 46 points, already their best top-flight return at this stage since 2010–11. Victory would lift Régis Le Bris' side to 49 points, their highest since 2000–01, and solidify genuine European belief.

The Black Cats have won their last two matches and are chasing three consecutive Premier League wins for the first time in more than a decade. Although winless in their last six away league games in the West Midlands, the stakes are high on Sunday as Sunderland chase only their second European campaign, after the 1973–74 Cup Winners' Cup.

Grace Wheeler
BBC Sport

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Aston Villa at Villa Park (kick-off 14:00).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Le Bris said that centre-back Dan Ballard "is fully fit and he has trained normally this week, so he is available for selection but you have to understand the dynamic of the group and the key for Ballard is to build his fitness levels".

• On other players, he said: "Nilson [Angulo], Bertrand [Traoré] and Jocelin [Ta Bi] are still sidelined but they are really close to reconnect with the squad maybe around the Forest game."

• On whether he has found a fixed starting 11, Le Bris said: "It's a dynamic first choice of 11. We have spoken to the players around this because it is an important topic. The purpose of the club is to grow and if you want to do this you need depth which means competition in the positions. It is about our future. This competition allows us to push ourselves."

• Sunderland have comfortably passed Le Bris's pre-season points target of 40 and he said: "40 points is an in-reach target put probably the highest points [possible], maybe less but if you want to set the highest standards 40 points is fair."

• Le Bris said earlier in the season that his team's mentality had struggled after an international break, but things are different after the latest one and he said: "We have a positive energy in the team at the minute."

• He added: "The approach remains the same and the results are a consequence of daily standouts. It is about the daily ambition and I have felt this week the energy is growing."

Hear more from Le Bris on BBC Sounds here or by clicking play on the clip above

Listen to commentary of Aston Villa v Sunderland from 13:55 GMT on Sunday on 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Sunderland? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts