‘Right place at the right time’: Abraham strikes late as Villa edge Sunderland

Sports'Right place at the right time': Abraham strikes late as Villa edge SunderlandBy Reuters -Apr 19, 2026Aston Villa moved one step closer ​to securing Champions League football with a see-saw 4-3 victory over Sunderland on Sunday after Tammy ‌Abraham snatched a dramatic winner in the 94th minute at Villa Park. The substitute striker’s late heroics extended fourth-placed Villa’s cushion over sixth-placed Chelsea to 10 points with five games remaining in the race for European football. Sunderland scored twice in 58 seconds when ​trailing 3-1 to make it 3-3 and nearly won it late before Abraham struck in stoppage ​time with a delicate touch past the keeper to seal the three points. “I think we ⁠got too relaxed and made a few mistakes and Sunderland punished us, they are a good team,” Abraham ​told Sky Sports. “As a striker, watching Ollie (Watkins) today, he was staying alive in the box and when I ​came on I told myself to do the same thing. Luckily for me I was in the right place at the right time. “We are a team that believes in ourselves. We are doing so well this season, we just have to carry on ​with the confidence.” Villa appeared to be cruising toward victory after Watkins’s two first-half headers and Morgan Rogers struck ​early in the second half to put them 3-1 ahead. But Sunderland scored twice — in the 86th and 87th minutes — when Trai ‌Hume ⁠and Wilson Isidor capitalised on mistakes Villa made in possession. Sunderland nearly completed an improbable comeback when Habib Diarra raced through, only to see Emiliano Martinez produce a fantastic save before Villa surged upfield, where Lucas Digne delivered a perfect cross for Abraham to score. “What a position we are in, semi-final of European competition (Europa League) and pole ​position to qualify for top ​five. We can go ⁠and achieve what not many Aston Villa players have done for a long time,” Villa midfielder John McGinn said. “When you see the difference of the two points ​big Tammy Abraham h...