Phil Smith's verdict: The selection dilemmas Sunderland's emphatic win have given Phil Parkinson and the options he's likely to take

O'Nien had been sent off in that insipid 3-0 defeat at Scunthorpe, just a week after Leicester City's U21s had produced a vibrant display to comfortably dispatch then struggling Phil Parkinson's reshuffled XI.

So far all the caveats that go with this win: the bigger challenges ahead, the atrocious set-piece defending from Aston Villa, it is fair to be encouraged by the intensity and professionalism with which the Black Cats went about their business.

Afterwards, Parkinson had conceded that the XI, which featured nine changes from the Carabao Cup clash with Hull City, had given him ‘a lot to think about' ahead of the League One kick-off this weekend.

There were a number of impressive performances right across the pitch, but has anyone done enough to force their way into what looked like Parkinson's first-choice XI?

We take a closer look....

The defensive unit

Sunderland handled Aston Villa's attack with relative ease but at this stage, it seems highly unlikely to alter Phil Parkinson's thinking for league action as soon as this weekend.

Morgan Feeney performed excellently and looked very much a senior pro, but Bailey Wright is clearly first-choice option and with Jordan Willis to his right the same.

Arbenit Xhemajli again looked at ease on the left of defence but is still working his way back to his match fitness (he had initially been pencilled in to play just 60 minutes here) and so for now, Tom Flanagan will surely keep his place.

Jack Diamond and Lynden Gooch both carried an attacking threat but Gooch will want to push his claims further foward and though Diamond is a livewire with a part to play this season, that he missed out on the squad against Hull City underlined that he still has a bit of work to do.

A big call in midfield

The shape of Parkinson's midfield will without question be the most keenly debated position ahead of the visit of Bristol Rovers this weekend.

There was suprise when Josh Scowen had been unable to force his way into the side for Hull City after an excellent pre-season campaign, but that was partially explained by a switch in the system from a 3-4-3 shape to something closer to a 3-5-2.

With Max Power pushed further forward (a role which he relished), Dobson kept his place but in a far more withdrawn role. He carried it out well in the first half and it had also been telling that when discussing Scowen in the days before that Hull game, Parkinson praised his initial two performances but said his level had dipped against Harrogate Town.

Scowen's response in that Aston Villa U21 was exceptional.

Not only did he deliver three excellent corners leading to goals, he was also a constant attacking threat, more than worthy of his goal as he regularly broke forward from midfield.

Will it be enough?

Parkinson was full of praise for both the 27-year-old's performance and set-piece delivery, but also said that he had been pleased with Chris Maguire's set pieces against Hull City and that Will Grigg's goal from one of his corners should have stood.

The key decision for Parkinson is that if he persists with the 3-5-2 shape, he would likely have to bring Power back to the more defensive role.

To play in front of the back three would not necessarily suit Scowen's talents and would prevent him from making the kind of runs forward that caused Villa's youngsters so many problems.

It's an interesting conundrum for Parkinson to solve in the coming days and one of the other key takeaways from the night was an emphatic showing from Grant Leadbitter.

Not only did the experienced central midfielder drive his team forward and move the ball well, but he also was first to every loose ball and dominated his younger opponents off the ball.

The shape of the forward line

Tuesday night could hardly have gone better for Parkinson in terms of his forward options.

Danny Graham made an impact from the bench and quickly landed his first goal. Aiden O'Brien played well but missed a big chance against Hull City, yet was able to open his account with a superb finish in stoppage time here.

Graham showed plenty of quality but Parkinson admitted afterwards he is still playing catch-up in terms of his match fitness, and so any contribution on Satuday would likely be from the bench.

O'Brien and Maguire's places look secure for now, which leaves one big call in terms of who leads the line.

Will Grigg was left frustrated with his penalty miss last Saturday, but drew praise from Parkinson for his all-round game.

Though it would have seemed inconceivable at the start of lockdown, he had edged ahead of Charlie Wyke, who had scored twice against Carlisle United but generally looked a touch off the pace.

He responded well here, not just with his two goals (and both he and Graham are unlikely to face more obliging opponents in the air all season than what they faced here) but with his all-round pressing and movement.

It was a reminder of why Parkinson has been so loyal to him, but there's a decision to be made given how much Parkinson has stressed he wants his forward players to stretch defences and run in behind, something which Grigg has done superbly for the last month.