Happy New Year, football fans and welcome to our live text coverage of Sunderland vs. Aston Villa in the Premier League. It's fair to say that both of these clubs will be happy to see the back of 2013, but what will 2014 bring? Our kickoff time is 3pm.

So, no matter what happened during your celebrations last night, the focus now switches to a football-filled day. Here comes the team news...

ASTON VILLA: Guzan; Lowton, Vlaar, Baker, Luna; Westwood, Bacuna, Weimann, Delph; Agbonlahor, Benteke

SUBS: Steer, Sylla, El Ahmadi, Kozak, Albrighton, Tonev, Donacien

SUNDERLAND: Mannone; Celustka, Bardsley, Diakite, Roberge; Cattermole, Ki, Colback, Ji, Giaccherini; Fletcher

SUBS: Dossena, Larsson, Gardner, Johnson, Altidore, Borini, Pickford

That means changes for both teams, then. The Black Cats decide to make four, with Ondrej Celustka, Jack Colback, Ji Dong-won and Steven Fletcher returning. The big news for Villa fans are the returns of Christian Benteke and Ron Vlaar, who have recovered from injuries.

Let's start our build-up with Sunderland. Gus Poyet's side have gradually improved in recent weeks, although the league table doesn't necessarily show that. The Black Cats are in their best spell of form this season, going five unbeaten. They showed their fighting spirit with the comeback against Cardiff City, but as Poyet said earlier this week, the key now is to build on their momentum.

Poyet told the club's official website: "The idea is to keep going and not to stop because we've done nothing. It's incredible and we've done something fantastic in the last three or four games but in reality we've done nothing because it doesn't count if you don’t go and win the next one."

"We need to use it (momentum)," he added. "We are at home, we have got plenty of games at home against teams in the bottom 10 and it is up to us. Things are going in the right direction. Let's hope we can maintain that consistency into the new year and (pick up) another three points."

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Villa are unbeaten against today's opponents in their past five fixtures, scoring nine and conceding three. The Black Cats have won four, drawn four and lost four of 12 Premier League home games against Villa.

Plenty of passion on display at the Stadium of Light today...

One of the defining factors of this game could be the performances of Steven Fletcher and Christian Benteke, who have both struggled to show their best this season. Fletcher got his third goal of the season to inspire the fightback at Cardiff, and Poyet believes that he could be crucial to his side's hopes of survival.

"Fletch is key, he is a key player for us and we need to make sure that we give him more chances," Poyet told Sky Sports News. "He had one only against Everton and he couldn't score, but then he had one and somehow - I don't know how, still, he stretched himself to score the goal - so we need to put him in there many, many times so that he will score plenty of goals. I need to find the balance for him to have chances, yes, no doubt, and that's what we are thinking about."

Speaking of Benteke, his poor run of form has mirrored that of his club, who are slipping down the table and into a relegation battle. The striker has been absent for the last three matches, and has scored five.

He's back today, however, and could be pivotal to Villa's hopes of winning. Lambert has backed his man, saying that people need to take into account Benteke's age. "He feels okay within himself. The thing with Christian is he's a young guy, and people forget that. Everyone put this super-stardom thing on him, but he's 23 years of age. He's a young guy and his confidence suffers, as everyone else's does," he told the Daily Mail.

According to the Sunderland twitter feed, Yacouba Sylla has been replaced by Jordan Bowery on the Villa bench.

Back to the build-up, though, and Villa's problems are obvious. They are winless in five, and have scored only two in five games. If they fail to win today it will be their longest sequence without a league victory since an eight-game run between December 2012 and February 2013.

Striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has come out fighting this week, saying that his teammates need to stick together. "Through the good times and the bad, and as long as we stay as a team, then we will be okay. That was just to show the staff and the players we are all in it together. We know it's going to be a fight. But we are up for it," he told Sky Sports News. "We might not be showing the best quality at times but if we give 100% and fight, then we will be fine."

Unfortunately, the stats don't point to a goalfest this afternoon. Just six of Villa's 19 league matches this season have been separated by more than a single goal, and only Everton have conceded fewer goals away from home than the Villans.

Nevertheless, Villa fans will be quietly confident of three points. Their team have lost only once on their previous eight visits to Sunderland, winning five.

PREDICTION: We're not far from kickoff, so I'll give you my pre-match prediction. It's a tough one to call, even with Villa's poor run of form. However, I think Sunderland will just edge it, 1-0.

UPDATE: In today's early kickoff, Manchester City have squeezed past Swansea City 3-2 to go top of the Premier League. Read our match report here.

Only five minutes to go before we're underway here.

KICKOFF! Here we go at the Stadium of Light.

Not much to report on yet as both teams try to figure each other out.

Sunderland have had more of the ball so far, and they have it out on the right hand side at the moment.

SHOT! Emanuele Giaccherini has the ball outside the area and decides to have a pop. It skims past the post, but that was a decent effort from the Sunderland. Decent start here.

CHANCE! OH! Good chance for the Black Cats to take an early lead. Giaccherini runs at the Villa defence and has Fletcher in loads of space to his right. His overhits the pass, however, and forces his teammate wide. Fletcher's shot then rolls wide. Close!

WIDE! Villa are struggling so far. Again Giacchierini is the man pulling the strings, and this time he feeds Ji Dong-Won, but the angle is poor and his shot goes wide.

Lambert won't be pleased with how his players have started this afternoon. They look devoid of confidence and Sunderland really should be ahead.

Benteke is involved now, coming short to get the ball. That's probably not where Villa want him to be, but at least he's trying to do something.

Poyet will be feeling very sick right about now. His team have somehow gone 1-0 behind and it's a catastrophic error by Cattermole, who loses the ball to Agbonlahor around the area. The Villa man rounds Vito Mannone to slot into an empty net.

CHANCE! Sunderland have a great chance to equalise immediately! Ji Dong-Won does well to pull the ball back for Colback, but there is Vlaar to deflect the shot wide.

CHANCE! This game is very open now. This time it's Villa's turn to attack, as Leandro Bacuna breaks and makes his way into the box before dragging the ball wide. Terrific stuff.

The ball is with Sunderland and they are pushing forward from the back. A replay has just been shown of the Villa goal and Cattermole really should have done better.

YELLOW CARD! Giaccherini has been shown a yellow card for simulation as he pushed forward on the edge of the box. Difficult one to see from my position.

SAVE! Mannone has to be alert to push away Agbonlahor's curling strike after good work from Benteke. A decent stop there from the Sunderland goalkeeper.

SAVE! The end-to-end nature continues! Bardsley finds Ki inside the area and Ki then drives forward, hitting a low shot at Guzan's near post. It's a comfortable save, however, and now Villa are on the ball.

Terrible play again from the Sunderland defence allows Benteke to pick the ball up in a dangerous position. However, Mobido Diakite blocks his shot. The Black Cats are shooting themselves in the foot.

If Sunderland can stop these silly defensive mistakes, then they are good enough in attack to cause Villa plenty of damage. Ki whips a great pass in behind the Villa defence, but Fletcher can't reach it and it goes out for a goal kick.

My prediction earlier this afternoon of a tight, nervy match is looking very wide of the mark at the moment. There are more goals in this one, no doubt.

The home side have had 72% of possession so far. Strangely, though, Villa look just as capable of scoring when they go forward.

Roberge wins the ball and sets up another chance, but Ki's shot is blocked after Ji had cut the ball back.

YELLOW CARD! Leandro Bacuna is given a card for a foul on Phil Bardsley.

CHANCE! Another vital block in the Villa defence! I think it was Benteke who got in the way of Ji Dong-Won's shot inside the box. A corner is given, but the flag is up for offside.

Now then, moments before that chance, Sunderland appealed for a penalty when the ball bounced up and appeared to hit a Villa defender near the arm. I'm not too sure. On the replay it looks like chest.

One minute of added time in this first half. Villa have the ball and they will be delighted with the lead.

A thoroughly entertaining first half comes to an end at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland will be struggling to understand how they are behind, but one lapse in concentration from Cattermole has cost them.

The stats show that the home side had 71% of possession, and eight shots compared to Villa's four. Sunderland also had five corners in the opening 45 minutes.

BENCH WATCH: The home side have the attacking talents of Fabio Borini, Jozy Altidore and Adam Johnson on the bench. I'd expect to see them come on if nothing has changed with an hour played. Lambert can call on the likes of Libor Kozak.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Arsenal are being held at home by Cardiff, Liverpool lead Hull, Fulham are level with West Ham and Palace are drawing 1-1 against Norwich. It is goalless in all of the others.

KICKOFF! We're underway in this second half.

SUB: Sunderland have made a change at half time, and it's perhaps no surprise to see Lee Cattermole taken off for Fabio Borini.

SHOT! Villa look to attack early in the second half and they win a corner after Bacuna's long range shot is deflected and Mannone does well to save.

Another penalty appeal for the home side. Ji has the ball just inside the area on the left-hand side and curls the ball against a defender. Again the shout goes out for handball, but Michael Jones says no.

DISALLOWED GOAL! Sunderland think they have an equaliser as Borini drills the ball in. However, the flag is up for offside!

Villa break quickly and Agbonlahor is in... but no, Diakite gets back and deflects his effort into the hands of Mannone.

The Villa players aren't happy with the ref at the moment. They counter attack through Agbonlahor again, but he is pulled down and the Villa man thinks it should be a yellow card, but Jones isn't interested.

YELLOW CARD! This won't improve their mood. Fabian Delph is booked for protesting after Weimann had tackled Ji.

Sunderland are on top now, with Villa using the counter attack to hurt their opponents. And they almost get in as Agbonlahor's pace takes him away from a defender on the wing. He sends the ball in, but the home side clear.

CLOSE! Borini's effort is deflected wide and the corner is played to Phillip Bardsley, who takes a touch before firing a low shot just wide. Decent hit by the defender.

Ki Sung-Yueng has just been given a right whack in the face by Agbonlahor, but I don't think that was deliberate. The Villa man was turning away and his arm struck his opponent.

The ref plays on and Fabio Borini gets back to prevent Agbonlahor, who looked to be clean through on goal.

YELLOW CARD!
Michael Jones is in the thick of the action now. Ki Sung-Yueng is booked for dissent and now Ron Vlaar is down.

SUB: The home side make their second change as Jozy Altidore comes on for Ji.

CLOSE! Oh, close for Sunderland! Ki has been useful on the ball today, and he almost gets his team level with a long-range shot, but it goes wide.

SUB: Marc Albrighton replaces Ron Vlaar.

CHANCES! Emanuele Giaccherini fires over from 25 yards, but Villa really should be 2-0 ahead. Benteke is in the box and he creates space for a shot. It beats the goalkeeper and appears to be going in, but a great goal-line clearance from Bardsley keeps the score at 1-0!

This is a great game to watch. A flick from Fletcher sets Giaccherini through, but Baker knocks it behind for a corner.

Benteke is starting to come into the game, and he should do better as he runs forward. Diakite is strong, however, and makes a tackle.

SUB: Another change for Sunderland. Adam Johnson replaces Valentin Roberge.

Again Villa counter attack and Sunderland are living dangerously. The ball is cleared to Delph, who smacks wide from 30 yards out. I can't call this one at the moment. It is so open.

GREAT SAVE! Brilliant stop by Vito Mannone! Marc Albrighton is in, and hammers an angled-shot at goal. However, the home goalkeeper pushes it away for a corner. That shot had real power behind it.

Poyet looks glum in the dugout. Time is running out for his team now. He's made three changes, so there's nothing else he can do but hope.

MISS! Oh my! What a dreadful miss by Albrighton! A smart team move sees Agbonlahor play the ball to Albrighton, who bears down on goal with just Mannone to beat. However, he blasts it over and Lambert can't believe it.

OVER THE BAR! Sunderland try to respond to that miss and Altidore finds Colback in the area. The midfielder is at a tight angle and his shot goes wide.

We're entering injury time now. It doesn't look like Sunderland will get their goal this afternoon.

YELLOW CARDS! We have a delay in play as a scuffle unfolds. Colback and Agbonlahor are both booked.

We have five minutes of added time! Perhaps one last chance for the home side.

Giaccherini's cross is deflected behind by Westwood for a corner. Vito Mannone comes forward but Villa defend it well.

Johnson tries a through-ball, but Phillip Bardsley is caught offside. I think that's probably it now. Sunderland have pushed and pushed, but Villa have defended well.

Delph blasted over from an Albrighton pass just before the end, but Villa have a crucial win. Sunderland remain at the bottom of the league.

Gus Poyet will know that his team have squandered a great chance to give their survival hopes a shot in the arm. Their decent unbeaten run is over and the Black Cats now need to regroup and go again. They showed plenty of effort and created chances, but one costly error proved to be their downfall.

For Villa, they move up to 11th on 23 points. Importantly, they are now six points clear of Crystal Palace in 18th.

That's all from me today, but do stay with us for plenty of reaction to all of today's matches. Have a great evening.