Unai Emery has heavily criticized his Aston Villa side, labeling them "lazy" following their 1-1 draw against a 10-man Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. The Villa manager didn't hold back his disappointment, expressing frustration not with the result itself, but with the manner in which his team performed.

The match saw Sunderland reduced to ten men in the 33rd minute after Reinildo Mandava was sent off for kicking out at Matty Cash. Despite the numerical advantage, Villa struggled to impose themselves, eventually taking the lead in the 67th minute through a strike from Cash. However, their lead was short-lived, as Wilson Isidor equalized for Sunderland just eight minutes later.

Emery, clearly irritated, disappeared down the tunnel before the final whistle. He lamented his team's lack of fight in duels and pinpointed instances of laziness, particularly in the lead-up to Sunderland's goal. He felt that his players weren't comfortable with their style of play and need to recover their personality, confidence. He also noted the need for some players to adapt, mentioning Harvey Elliott needing to make better passing decisions.

Aston Villa dominated possession with 71% compared to Sunderland's 29%, but they only managed two shots on target compared to Sunderland's four. Emery rung the changes from the bench, but that did not do the trick.

Despite the setback of going down to 10 men, Sunderland showed resilience and determination to secure a point. Manager Régis Le Bris was pleased with his side's reaction, praising their strength and power. He acknowledged the red card changed the dynamic of the game, requiring a shift in their game plan. Roy Keane reflected that Sunderland reacted fantastically and the equalizer was well deserved.

Isidor's goal was his third consecutive one at home, further cementing his importance to Sunderland's attack. Granit Xhaka provided the assist with a clever header.

The draw leaves Aston Villa without a win in the Premier League this season and sitting near the bottom of the table. This result continues a frustrating start to the season for Villa, who finished sixth in the Premier League last season and enjoyed a Champions League campaign. Emery faces increasing pressure to turn things around and recapture the form that saw them achieve a high finish last season.

For Sunderland, the draw represents a positive result, especially considering they played with ten men for a significant portion of the match. They sit in the top half of the table with two wins and two draws.