Key Takeaways
- Tammy Abraham nodded in at the far post to give Aston Villa a 4-3 win in a wild second half.
- Chris Rigg, 18, scored his first top-flight goal and became Sunderland’s first English scorer in the Premier League since 2017.
- Villa move 10 points clear of Chelsea in the race for sixth, while Sunderland need one more point to be sure of safety.
Aston Villa and Sunderland served up a crazy 4-3 finish at Villa Park as substitute Tammy Abraham flicked home Lucas Digne’s cross four minutes from time.
The match looked comfortable for the home side when Morgan Rogers finished a swift counter early in the second half, making it 3-1 after Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey had earlier struck.
Sunderland refused to fold. Trai Hume pounced after Jadon Sancho lost the ball, and Wilson Isidor levelled when Sancho was caught again. Suddenly it was 3-3 with 15 minutes left.
Unai Emery’s men found one last reply. Digne raced clear on the left and Abraham, on for Watkins, steered the low centre inside the far post to spark wild celebrations on the Holte End.
Emery praised his side’s reaction. “We lost our minds for a minute, but the players kept believing and found the winner,” the Spaniard said.
For Sunderland, the defeat stings yet survival remains in their hands. Régis Le Bris saw teenager Chris Rigg curl a brilliant first league goal and insisted his team will learn from the chaos. “We matched Villa for long spells and created the chance to win it ourselves,” the French coach noted.
Villa have now won only five of their last 15 league outings, but the victory tightens their grip on a top-six place. Sunderland stay four points above neighbours Newcastle and need one more result to guarantee Championship football next season.