Sunderland’s grit outlasted Aston Villa’s relief at finally finding the net, as Wilson Isidor’s late equaliser earned a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light. The hosts played just under an hour with 10 men after Reinildo was sent off for violent conduct in the 33rd minute, yet they fashioned the game’s best chances on either side of Matty Cash’s swerving strike.
Villa, who had not scored in the league this season before Cash's 25-yard effort, could not turn the man advantage into a first win. Sunderland, unbeaten in three, climbed to eight points from five games; Villa remain winless on three points and marooned in the bottom three.
Red card, reshuffle, and a tilt in momentum
The match turned on Reinildo's dismissal after Matty Cash bundled him over and fell on him, prompting the Sunderland left-back to flick out a boot and rake Cash's thigh. It was a flash of temper that brought a straight red and forced Régis Le Bris into immediate surgery: teenager Chris Rigg, bright on his first Premier League start, was sacrificed for Dan Ballard as the hosts switched to a back five.