False dawn for Villa: Cash ends drought but 10-man Sunderland hit back

Aston Villa finally scored their first Premier League goal of the season but could not make it count, drawing 1-1 at Sunderland against opponents reduced to ten from the 33rd minute. Matty Cash’s fierce, swerving strike broke the drought, only for Wilson Isidor to level after Granit Xhaka’s clever header unpicked the visitors’ defence.

Unai Emery’s side, on three points and still winless, could not convert the man advantage into control. The performance left their manager frustrated and demanding the return of an identity that has defined his tenure until this stuttering start.

Cash breaks through, but the cutting edge stays blunt

The breakthrough arrived on 67 minutes. Cash stepped into space and unleashed a vicious 25‑yard effort that swerved late, deceiving Robin Roefs as the goalkeeper’s attempted punch merely brushed the ball. It was Villa’s first league goal after an extended barren run and should have shifted the contest decisively.

Instead, Villa produced only one shot on target despite playing a full half against ten. Morgan Rogers struggled to link play, Ollie Watkins toiled without reward, and tempo never truly rose above laboured. The door was open; Villa did not walk through it.

Extra man, missing urgency

Reinildo’s dismissal for kicking out at Cash had handed Villa the initiative. Sunderland responded by moving to a back five and leaning on set pieces, with Omar Alderete even rattling the underside of the bar on 51 minutes. Rather than pinning the ten men back, Villa’s passing remained passive and predictable.

The decisive punishment came eight minutes after Cash’s strike. Xhaka arrived beyond the back line to cushion a header into space and Isidor pounced, sliding a low finish past Emiliano Martínez. Emery later lamented “laziness” in the defending of that moment, a detail that will smart in the review room.

Emery’s identity warning grows louder

“We need to get our identity back,” Emery said, adding that he was “frustrated and disappointed” and that it should have been easier against ten. His touchline agitation ended with an early walk down the tunnel, emblematic of irritation at a display that lacked thrust and conviction.

The numbers echo the mood. Villa have generated the division’s worst expected‑goals figure and rank bottom for shots on target after five games, according to analysis cited in the coverage. This league form follows an early Carabao Cup exit and was compounded here by a stoppage‑time miss when Watkins failed to connect with Jadon Sancho’s inviting cross.

Sunderland’s discipline, Villa’s missed opportunity

Credit belongs to the hosts’ organisation. With Mukiele’s long throws and Alderete’s dominance, Sunderland used a deep block to frustrate and then sprang through Xhaka and Enzo Le Fée’s control in tight spaces. Even a red card did not diminish their belief, which made Cash’s opener only a fleeting advantage.

For Villa, the lesson is harsher. Tielemans’ absence removed one line-breaking passer, but responsibility for tempo and incision sits collectively. Against ten men for so long, a side of Villa’s quality must create more and concede less control of key moments.

Pressure points and the path ahead

The draw leaves Villa on three points, still searching for a first win and stuck in the bottom three despite finally ending their scoring drought. Emery’s plea for intensity and identity will frame the days ahead on the training ground.

Attention now shifts to Europe with Bologna visiting Villa Park to launch the Europa League campaign, before Fulham and Burnley arrive in the league. With two home fixtures to come, the onus is on Villa to turn possession and territory into goals and, at last, a win.