Tammy Abraham's deft finish deep into stoppage time gave Aston Villa a breathless 4-3 victory over Sunderland at Villa Park, settling a match that refused to follow any settled pattern. Villa seemed on course for a comfortable afternoon when they led 3-1 with only minutes to play, only for Sunderland to level in a stunning late burst before Abraham delivered the final twist.
Ollie Watkins scored twice before half-time, either side of Chris Rigg's first Premier League goal for Sunderland, and Morgan Rogers made it 3-1 immediately after the interval. Yet late finishes from Hume and Wilson Isidor turned the game on its head, Habib Diarra was then denied when clean through, and Lucas Digne's superb cross allowed Abraham to decide a thriller that boosted Villa's Champions League qualification hopes.
McGinn and Rigg drive an open beginning
There was an odd, almost relaxed mood to the contest at first, with Villa closing in on the Champions League and Sunderland effectively clear of immediate danger, but the football quickly became vivid. Much of the early threat came down the right. John McGinn was a constant problem for Sunderland, and one of his corners led to Amadou Onana heading against the bar before Villa struck almost immediately.