Martin O’Neill believes Sunderland are even better equipped to upset Villa this season than they were last.

The Black Cats are unbeaten on their travels so far and will arrive tomorrow aiming to repeat last term’s 1-0 success at Villa Park.

O’Neill is impressed with the quality of additions made by opposite number Roy Keane, although he can take confidence from fourth-placed Villa’s best Premier League start in nine years.

The Villa boss said: “They have gone out and bought what I would call a lot of Premier League talent,. Boys who have spent their lives in the Premier League. They have loads of Premier League experience now whereas last year perhaps they didn’t.

“It couldn’t be anything else but difficult for us. They have gone to Tottenham and won, they beat Middlesbrough and they beat us last year. It was their first away victory last season and it came in the last seven or eight minutes of the game. We didn’t play particularly well and we need to play much better.

“They were my favourite team as a kid but all that type of stuff doesn’t really matter.”

Like O’Neill, Keane is a protégé of the legendary Brian Clough and the Villa boss believes his Sunderland counterpart is quickly establishing a managerial reputation to rank with his one as a player.

He said: “He was an exceptional talent, one of the best Premier League players to have played. He hasn’t done much wrong in management.

“He took over Sunderland when they were struggling and got them instant promotion. Last year he saw it through.

“If you are given the chance to work for two of the finest managers (Clough and Sir Alex Ferguson) there have ever been then you are going to pick up a lot of things.

“Then, of course, you will add your own personality to it. It’s a fairly healthy combination. This season expectation around the Stadium of Light will be pretty high themselves.”

O’Neill is likely to revert to the side which defeated Albion in last weekend’s derby after an Villa understength side slipped to a surprise Carling Cup defeat to QPR in midweek.

James Milner returns to contention after being cup-tied but Steve Sidwell is unlikely to be risked, although the midfielder is making steady progress after a knee problem.