Credit: Imago

Daniel Davis

Sun 19 April 2026 17:15, UK

Aston Villa have one foot on the Champions League gravy train after surviving a major scare to beat Sunderland 4-3 on Sunday afternoon.

Just as Villa looked set to lose crucial ground in the top five fight, having seen a 3-1 lead wiped out in the space of a minute, Tammy Abraham’s late winner sparked wild scenes.

Ollie Watkins scored twice and Morgan Rogers also netted to put Unai Emery‘s side in the driving seat, but a defensive collapse saw the Black Cats drag themselves back onto level terms. Trai Hume first reduced the deficit before Wilson Isidor tucked home the equaliser.

But Abraham made the decisive intervention on 93 minutes, touching Lucas Digne’s low, searching cross beyond Robin Roefs with his shin to hand Villa all three points.

The result saw Villa remain fourth in the Premier League table but stretch their lead over sixth-placed Chelsea to a whopping 10 points, with just five games remaining.

Here, Villa News looks at three moments you may have missed…

Unai Emery’s tactical frustration

A raucous pre-match atmosphere helped an energised Villa to fly out of the traps, resulting in them making the breakthrough with only two minutes on the clock.

But they were promptly caught cold when Rigg levelled the scores, leaving Emery unhappy.

Emi Martinez had looked to find Watkins with long, direct balls in the opening stages, but Villa’s head coach instead instructed his players to prioritise shorter passes.

This change in approach enabled the hosts to regain control over the showdown, with sharp combinations and incisive line-breaking helping to pick the Black Cats apart.

Ollie Watkins’ major milestone

Watkins’ latest outstanding performance for Villa should not be lost in all the noise over the last-gasp heroics from Abraham, the man who has been forced to play second fiddle to him.

He is enjoying a superb purple patch, having scored nine goals in his last nine matches, and after bagging his first against Sunderland, he also made history for the club.

Indeed, Watkins became the 10th-highest goalscorer in Villa’s illustrious 151-year history, with his opening goal his 101st for the club. His 102nd then quickly followed.

The 30-year-old is clearly a man on a mission as he looks to prove Thomas Tuchel wrong over his England sub, with the World Cup right around the corner.

Billy Garraty, who scored 112 goals for Villa, will be next in his sights.

Wild goal celebrations

Unsurprisingly, Villa’s bench flooded out onto the pitch after Abraham’s winner.

Emery spun around and passionately punched the air, while McGinn and Watkins, the hosts’ two heroes before being substituted, leapt from their seats.

The coaching staff were just as ecstatic as a sea of Villa supporters roared behind them. However, attention then turned to ensuring they held onto all three points.

While Emery dished out instructions, Jadon Sancho would likely have thanked his team-mates for bailing him out, having sloppily gifted away two goals after coming on.

It was far from simple, but Villa won’t mind one jot.