Results tagged “Aston Villa” from SAFC Banter - Join the debate with Sunderland fans, staff writers and club legends
TEEMU TAINIO says Sunderland must not lose their belief as they fight for Premier League survival.
The Black Cats' defeat against Aston Villa, combined with other results over the weekend, saw the Wearsiders slip one place to 15th in the table. They are now just two points off the foot of the table.
No-one in the bottom half is safe with the bottom five clubs all on 21 points - while Sunderland, Newcastle and Bolton are just above them all on 23.
ANTON FERDINAND is preparing for a reunion with his old West Ham team-mate Nigel Reo-Coker tomorrow - and believes the stick his pal took at Upton Park has turned out to be the making of him.
The pair are so close Ferdinand regards regards the midfielder as a 'brother,' and they were colleagues for two-and-a-half years with the Hammers before Reo-Coker joined tomorrow's opponents Aston Villa in the summer of 2007.
The England Under-21 international was singled out by the West Ham fans during the slump which saw the Hammers make a poor start to the 2006-07 season and then dodge relegation on the final day of the season.
SUNDERLAND'S sloppiness was ruthlessly punished by Aston Villa - and Roy Keane knows his side must heed the warning.
The Black Cats did the hard part by getting their noses in front at Villa Park thanks to Djibril Cisse's early strike.
Then they were undone by set-piece specialists Villa, who took full advantage of two free-kicks needlessly conceded by the visitors.
The first came about after a blatant bodycheck by Liam Miller on Ashley Young - and the little winger lashed home the free-kick through a gap in the four-man wall.
CRAIG GORDON says Sunderland will take confidence from one of the turning points of last season when they go to Aston Villa tomorrow.
The Wearsiders earned their first win of the season on the road at Villa Park in March, thanks to a late goal from substitute Michael Chopra.
Villa boss Martin O'Neill has strengthened over the summer and Gordon admits they are a formidable side.
Michael Chopra was the Sunderland hero at Villa Park as he fired the Black Cats clear of the danger zone.
Chopra's 83rd-minute goal was enough to earn Sunderland their first away win of the season - and their first win against Aston Villa in the Midlands for almost a quarter of a century.
The victory meant Roy Keane's men leapfrogged Birmingham, who lost against Reading, to move up one place to fifth-bottom.
But more importantly, it doubled the gap between the Wearsiders and Bolton, who remain third bottom and in the relegation zone after their goalless draw with Manchester City, to four points.
SUNDERLAND 1 ASTON VILLA 1
Roy Keane was furious after referee Steve Bennett denied Sunderland a priceless win over Aston Villa at the Stadium of Light.
Bennett disallowed what seemed a perfectly legal injury-time winner from Danny Collins which would have earned the Black Cats a valuable three points.
The draw was enough to lift Sunderland out of the relegation zone- and Fulham's defeat against Newcastle meant they stayed a point above the drop zone- but in the circumstances, that was scant consolation.
Sunderland had gone in front in the 10th minute when defender Danny Higginbotham headed home a right-wing Ross Wallace corner.
