Tammy Abraham bails out Jadon Sancho and keeps Villa on course for Champions League
Jadon Sancho was breathing a sigh of relief after Tammy Abraham’s stoppage-time winner kept Aston Villa on course to return to the Champions League.
The Manchester United loanee almost cost Villa the points they needed to maintain their position in the top four.
His mistakes allowed Sunderland to come back from 3-1 down and equalise within the space of 58 seconds.
Régis Le Bris’s side then almost scored a fourth in stoppage time as Habib Diarra tried to lift the ball over Emiliano Martínez only for the Argentine keeper to make a fingertip save.
The response was immediate as Villa’s Lucas Digne crossed for Abraham to glance in a goal which rounded off a breathless finish.
Sancho appeared emotional at the final whistle and had to be consoled but manager Unai Emery did not blame him for the goals.
“We are going to analyse and find solutions for mistakes. I am always taking responsibility for the mistakes, not the players,” he said.
Sunderland manager Le Bris said that Diarra had apologised for his miss, knowing it should have been the winning goal, but that he was proud of his team’s display. However, he admitted that Villa’s quality eventually “killed” his side.
When the dust had settled after the chaos, Villa found themselves 10 points clear of Chelsea in sixth place and on course to repeat their Champions League qualification of two years ago.
Emery is driven by missing out on goal difference last season, but he is aiming on two fronts this time after reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League.
But this was meant to be Ollie Watkins ’s game – as he sent out yet another reminder to England manager Thomas Tuchel.
The striker’s first-half headed double looked to have set up a comfortable victory for Villa, and he also set up Morgan Rogers for his goal after half-time.
After being left out of Tuchel’s England squad once more last month, the Villa striker has the World Cup in his sights after scoring six goals in his last five games to bring his season’s tally to 15.
Watkins has made no secret of his ambition to play for England again – and on this form, it will be difficult to ignore his claims.
After reaching the 100-goal mark for the club against Bologna on Thursday, Watkins needed less than two minutes to make it 101 – and he is now the club’s 10th-highest goalscorer.
But Villa were pegged back just seven minutes later by a Sunderland side searching for a third successive win.
Chris Rigg , 18, curled a superb finish into the far corner after Noah Sadiki ’s lay off from Diarra’s cross.
Not only was it his first of the season, it was his first in the Premier League – making him the third youngest player to score for Sunderland at this level.
But Villa almost regained the lead in a frantic start to the game – which was almost as chaotic as the finish.
Amadou Onana headed against the crossbar from a John McGinn corner, and Brian Brobbey had to clear off the line.
But Watkins was on target again nine minutes before the break. Ian Maatsen made space on the left from Rogers’s pass, wriggled through the Sunderland defence, and provided the ball for Watkins who was there to head home again from close range.
But Emery was going mad on the touchline as Sunderland were allowed to create more chances to level the game again.
The Villa manager had made it clear in his programme notes that Villa’s draw at Sunderland in September was a “turning point” for the team.
The Spaniard was visibly frustrated after that game at the Stadium of Light, and he left his bench for the dressing room before the final whistle.
Afterwards, he described some of Villa’s play as “lazy”. It is fair to say that Emery made his views known to the team – and the response this season has been obvious, but even with Villa apparently coasting, he was not prepared to let his team sit back. And he was right.
Villa started the half in ideal fashion with McGinn and Ross Barkley setting up the move that saw Watkins find Rogers to score – and seemingly put the game beyond doubt.
But Sunderland had other ideas – as they capitalised on Sancho’s indecision. The winger allowed himself to be robbed and Trai Hume nipped in to score from a tight angle. Incredibly, Sunderland were level less than a minute later.
Enzo Le Fée pounced on an uncertain Sancho and supplied Wilson Isidor , who calmly slotted home.
