Credit: Imago

James Barker

Sat 18 April 2026 8:10, UK

Unai Emery won’t be chuffed with the booking of Sam Barrott as referee for Aston Villa against Sunderland this Sunday, as the Villans have a dismal record with him in the middle.

Following their Europa League quarter-final second leg tie with Bologna on Thursday, Aston Villa will resume their Premier League campaign at home to Sunderland on Sunday.

Emery’s side are enduring a mixed bag of form in the league at the moment, with a frustrating 1-1 draw away at Nottingham Forest last time out.

Meanwhile, Sunderland are making a late push for European football, with back-to-back wins over Newcastle United and Tottenham respectively.

So, it looks set to be a great game between Aston Villa and Sunderland, but the Villans do have a potential bad omen in the form of referee Barrott.

What is Aston Villa’s record with Sam Barrott as referee?

Aston Villa drew 1-1 with Sunderland in this season’s reverse fixture, which was matchday five of the 2025-26 Premier League season.

Incidentally, this Sunday’s referee, Barrott, was also in charge at the Stadium of Light that day, and he sent Black Cats defender Reinildo off after 33 minutes, but Villa couldn’t make their advantage pay.

As it turns out, however, that 1-1 draw with the Black Cats would be one of Aston Villa’s better results with Barrott in the middle.

Indeed, of the six career games he’s refereed the Villans, the B6 boys have won only twice, with three defeats and that one aforementioned draw respectively.

The first Villa match he took charge of was the 4-2 win over Nottingham Forest on matchday 26 of the 2023-24 Premier League season.

Last season, he took their fourth-round League Cup loss to Crystal Palace, as well as Premier League defeats to Forest and Palace, with the only other win coming against Everton on matchday 21 last term.

So, it’s safe to say that the superstitious Aston Villa fan, as well as Emery, won’t be thrilled to see Barrott’s name next to their fixture with Sunderland this Sunday when looking at their record with him in charge.

What is Sunderland’s record with Barrott as referee?

Naturally then, the next question is: ‘have Sunderland had any more luck with Barrott as referee than Aston Villa?’

Well, the answer to that question is yes, as the Black Cats have only lost two of their eight games that he’s been in charge of.

Indeed, Barrott’s first Sunderland game as referee was back in December 2020, when he oversaw a 2-1 Wearsiders win over Oldham in the second round of the EFL Trophy.

He’s refereed them at League One, Championship and Premier League level, with Sunderland winning four and drawing two on top of their two defeats.

However, they have failed to win their last two games with Barrott in the middle, with those being a 3-0 loss to Arsenal on matchday 25 this season, as well as the 1-1 draw with Villa at the beginning of the campaign.