John Townley's Aston Villa player ratings after Unai Emery's side beat Sunderland 4-3 in the Premier League
Tammy Abraham came off the bench to rescue Aston Villa
Tammy Abraham came off the bench to rescue Aston Villa
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Tammy Abraham came off the bench to save Aston Villa from a late collapse against Sunderland, with his 93rd-minute goal securing a dramatic 4-3 victory at Villa Park.
Ollie Watkins scored twice, either side of Chris Rigg’s first-half equaliser, before Morgan Rogers gave Villa a two-goal cushion early in the second half.
With the game petering out, Jadon Sancho lost possession in his own half, allowing Trai Hume to reduce the deficit. Moments later, from the resulting kick-off, Villa lost the ball again and Wilson Isidor was played through to score.
Abraham, who came on for Watkins in the 80th minute, poked Lucas Digne’s cross past Robin Roefs to spark wild scenes inside Villa Park.
Victory means Villa now have a 10-point buffer in the Champions League places with five games remaining.
Watkins gave Villa the perfect start, heading in John McGinn’s clever looping cross to the back post inside the opening two minutes.
Sunderland responded well to the early setback, with Rigg curling an effort into the far corner after being afforded space on the edge of the Villa box.
In the 15th minute, Amadou Onana came agonisingly close to restoring Villa’s lead, crashing a header off the underside of the crossbar after meeting McGinn’s in-swinging corner.
Clear-cut chances were limited for the hosts thereafter until Ian Maatsen delivered a pinpoint cross onto Watkins’ head around 10 minutes before the break, and the in-form striker made no mistake from close range.
Villa extended their lead early in the second half in similar fashion to the first, with Rogers getting on the scoresheet after being picked out by Watkins. McGinn won possession from Sunderland’s Reinaldo before Rogers finished confidently with his weaker foot in front of the Holte End.
Watkins nearly completed his hat-trick in the 65th minute after Rogers beat Chemsdine Talbi on the left. His cross into the box was faintly flicked wide by his teammate via a deflection.
Villa were cruising until Sancho was dispossessed deep in his own half, allowing Hume to finish from a tight angle. From the resulting kick-off, Sancho lost the ball again, and Isidor converted past Martínez.
The Black Cats should have won the game when Habib Diarra went one-on-one with Martínez in stoppage time, but the Villa goalkeeper came out on top.
At the other end, Digne swung in a pinpoint delivery to Abraham, who flicked it past Roefs to win the game for Villa.
Morgan Rogers scored Aston Villa's third of the afternoon
Morgan Rogers scored Aston Villa's third of the afternoon(Image: PA)
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Player ratings
Emi Martinez
Martinez was beaten by Rigg’s effort in the ninth minute but was otherwise largely untested before the break, aside from confidently dealing with set-pieces. Denied a tame effort from Brobbey after the hour mark and pushed Talbi's strike away too. His save to deny Diarra in the last moments helped turn what would have been a defeat into a win. 9
Matty Cash
Cash didn’t misplace a pass in the first half and remained disciplined throughout. Another strong performance from the right-back. 7
Ezri Konsa
Konsa completed all 40 of the 41 passes he played across the course and won both of his ground duels, but Isidor ran off him too easily for Sunderland's third. 6
Tyrone Mings
Mings returned to the starting XI after Pau Torres’ run in the team and gave Brian Brobbey as good as he got. 6
Ian Maatsen
Maatsen also came into the side after Lucas Digne had been preferred in recent weeks. He showed his attacking threat, assisting Watkins’ second goal and consistently stretching the Sunderland defence. 7
Amadou Onana
Onana rattled the underside of the crossbar after rising highest in a crowded box. He also relished his battles with Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki. 7
Youri Tielemans
Operating alongside Onana in the double pivot, Tielemans used the ball well and never looked flustered under pressure. He may feel he could have closed down Rigg quicker before the equaliser. 7
John McGinn
McGinn delivered a perfectly weighted cross to the back post for Watkins to open the scoring. He nearly had a second assist from a corner, but Onana was denied by the woodwork. McGinn also won possession from Reinaldo early in the second half, sparking the move that led to Rogers’ goal. Massively underrated outside of Villa. 8
Ross Barkley
Barkley made his 300th Premier League appearance and operated in a more advanced role, supporting Watkins effectively. Showed good energy levels and commitment in duels. 7
Morgan Rogers
Rogers’ awareness allowed Maatsen to exploit space down the left and deliver for Watkins. He then applied an excellent finish with his weaker left foot to extend Villa’s lead early in the second half. 8
Ollie Watkins
Unplayable. Fresh from scoring his 100th Villa goal on Thursday night, Watkins needed just minutes to grab his 101st. He headed in another before the break to restore the lead and later assisted Rogers to make it 3-1. This is the Ollie Watkins we know and love. 9
SUBS
Lucas Digne (for Maatsen, 70'): Put in the delivery which Abraham turned in for Villa's fourth. Made his 176th appearance today. 7
Emi Buendia (for Barkley, 70'): Worked hard out of possession after coming on. 6
Jadon Sancho (for McGinn, 79'): He knows it wasn't good enough, but will be feeling very relieved. 3
Tammy Abraham (for Watkins, 79'): Match-winner. He deserves it too for working hard despite not getting the minutes he'd have liked so far. 8
Subs not used: Bizot, Lindelof, Luiz, Bogarde, Bailey.
GOALS
Aston Villa: Watkins (2', 36'), Rogers (46'), Abraham (90+3')
Sunderland: Rigg (9'), Hume (86'), Isidor (87')
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