Aston Villa’s dismal start to the 2025/26 season continued with a disappointing 1-1 draw against newly-promoted Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Unai Emery’s side were once again lacklustre in the final third of the pitch and only managed two shots on target throughout the entire 90 minutes despite having a man advantage for two thirds of the contest Reinildo Mandava’s red card in the 33rd minute. Villa scored their first league goal of the season through Matty Cash in the 67th minute but surrendered their advantage just seven minutes later when Wilson Isidor volleyed in a goal from close distance.
Aston Villa remain in the bottom three with a record of three draws and two defeats from their opening five matches. They sit narrowly ahead of West Ham and basement side Wolves, who are now the only team in the league without a single point. It’s a far cry from where Villa, who competed in a Champions League quarter-final just six months ago, would expect to be at this stage of the season. But can they turn it around under Emery or are they likely to continue struggling? Here we take a look at Opta’s supercomputer to see how the latest round of fixtures influenced its final forecast.

13. Fulham - 50 points
Fulham are expected to secure a comfortable 13th place finish but are unlikely to push for Europe. They secured an impressive 3-1 win over Brentford last time out and will hope to build further momentum in the comings weeks. | Getty Images

14. Nottingham Forest - 46 points
Nottingham Forest are expected to drop down seven spaces from last season. The added toll of European football and the change of manager is expected to have a detrimental effect. | Getty Images

15. Brentford - 46 points
Brentford are expected to avoid relegation despite the high-profile sales of stars such as Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa. They've picked up four points from five games so far this season. | Getty Images

16. Leeds United - 41 points
Leeds United are expected to become the first newly-promoted side since 2023 to avoid an instant relegation back to the Championship. They've shown promise so far, picking up seven points from five matches, including a recent 3-1 triumph over Wolves. | Getty Images


