Match talking points will appear here before kick-off.

• 1
  Villa's last game was one of the maddest of the season: they led Manchester United 4-2 at Old Trafford with the clock deep into stoppage time and still only drew 4-4, after United scored twice in added time. It's the kind of result that feels like a defeat even though it technically isn't.
• 2
  Unai Emery walked down the touchline towards the tunnel before the final whistle after a quick handshake with Michael Carrick, and then had to defend it afterwards. He admitted he thought the game was over when United equalised. Mentioning the early exit is a safe bet for a knowing grimace.
• 3
  Villa go into the international break 10th with 13 points from 10 games – three wins, four draws, three defeats. Since beating Manchester City they've failed to beat Bournemouth, Fulham, Barcelona or United and leaked 11 goals in that run. Emery's message is 'keep working on the defending', which is putting it mildly.
• 4
  Emery himself is still focusing on the positives – he points to three wins and three draws in recent matches – but the question being asked around Villa Park is whether the team has stalled after several years of steady progress under him. Ask a Villa fan whether this is a blip or a ceiling and stand well back.
• 5
  The good news: the table is tight. Villa are only five points off fifth-placed Chelsea, so a decent run after the break would change the mood completely. The bad news is that defending a two-goal lead for six minutes is apparently the hard part.

• 1
  Sunderland beat Chelsea 1-0 at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, and it was a big one. It ended a winless run, lifted them off the bottom of the table, and pushed Chelsea out of the top four. Not a bad afternoon's work.
• 2
  The goal was an Enzo Le Fée penalty in the 36th minute, after striker Brian Brobbey was brought down by Levi Colwill. Chelsea moaned that Brobbey had pulled Colwill first. Sunderland fans will tell you, cheerfully, that the decision stood.
• 3
  Chelsea had about 69% of the ball, but Sunderland created the better chances. One stats site had Sunderland's expected goals at 2.55 against Chelsea's 0.53. Translation for the non-fan: the scoreline flattered Chelsea, not Sunderland.
• 4
  Manager Régis Le Bris had been under real pressure going in, so this one mattered. He called it 'crucial', but admitted that the target is still 40 points and there's 'a long way to go'. Sunderland are 19th on eight points, so he's right.
• 5
  First up after the break is Aston Villa away on Saturday 21 November. Then there's the small matter of the Tyne–Wear derby at Newcastle on 5 December. Feel free to ask a Sunderland fan whether they've started thinking about it. They have.