A real statement from the battling Black Cats

SUNDERLAND showed another side to their game with a battling display against Unai Emery's Aston Villa at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.

- By MATTY HEWITT Football writer [e-mail]

Chris Rigg in action before being substituted after Reinildo Mandava was sent off for a heavy challenge, below

The Wearsiders had to fight tooth and nail to come away with a point and were well worth it come the fulltime whistle.

As a result, the Black Cats are still unbeaten at home and have taken eight points from their opening five Premier League fixtures. They may not have come away with all three points, but it was a real statement from a relatively new group of players.

Sunderland showed they still have the fight and grit that won them promotion last season, even with 14 new faces coming through the door.

Here are the key talking points from Sunderland's draw against Aston Villa:

Chris Rigg continues his incredible rise and chalked up another milestone on Sunday after being given his first start in the Premier League. Habib Diarra picked up an injury during training on Friday, ruling him out of the game, with the England youth international coming into the side in his place.

"He's really young, but at the same time experienced after one full season in the Championship last season," Le Bris said earlier this month when asked about the youngster getting game time this season.

"Obviously, he has to step up like the club - like his teammates - and face this new challenge. He has many good qualities, a really strong mindset, and a really strong character."