Douglas Luiz stepped up to score a crucial penalty to secure a 3-2 win over 10-man Burnley, sending Aston Villa to second place in the Premier League, level with leaders Liverpool.
Burnley showed incredible fight, levelling the match twice with goals from Zeki Amdouni and Lyle Foster following strikes by Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby, but the Clarets were unable to hold on to a share of the spoils.
Aston Villa got the game started, hoping for a positive result to keep the pressure on the sides above them in the league standings, and were on the front foot almost immediately after the kickoff.
The Villans earned their first corner of the match within the first three minutes and almost took the lead as the ball fell to an unmarked Diaby at the back post, but the Frenchman failed to keep his volleyed attempt on target.
Ollie Watkins got the first shot on target in the game after Vitinho failed to deal with a high ball, but his first-time shot was well saved by James Trafford in the Burnley goal.
Watkins had netted 11 Premier League goals at Villa Park in 2023, and had he scored in this game, he would have equalled Dwight Yorke as the Villa player with the most home goals in a calendar year in the competition (12 in 1996).
The hosts continued to dictate play leading up to the midway point of the first half, and they were rewarded for their dominance before the half-hour mark when Watkins played a clever pass inside the box to Bailey, who took a good touch before firing it past Trafford to give his side the lead.
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Aston Villa have now scored in each of their last 24 Premier League home games since a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea in October last season.
That goal also marked their longest scoring streak in the top-flight at Villa Park since a run of 33 consecutive matches between May 1982 and December 1983.
However, it took just two minutes and 10 seconds for the visitors to reply when a free kick found Dara O'Shea, who nodded across goal before Amdouni hooked it home to level proceedings for the first time this afternoon.
That goal seemed to inject life back into the Clarets, and they had the ball in the back of the net just a few moments later through Foster, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR check.
Burnley were in the ascendancy from then on, but it was the hosts that found the go-ahead goal in the final five minutes of the half when Watkins turned creator once again, as he spun in behind the Burnley defence and played a low cross to Diaby, who had a simple tap in.
Villa have now scored 19 first-half goals in 20 games, with only Manchester City (20) scoring more in the first 45 minutes of matches this season.
Burnley, on the other hand, have conceded 19 first-half goals in 20 games, which is more than any other side in the top flight this term.
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The visitors began the second period well, but were dealt a major blow when Sander Berge received his marching orders for a second bookable offence after pulling back Luiz in midfield.
Vincent Kompany opted to make a switch following the sending-off, bringing on Aaron Ramsey for Amdouni, marking a proud moment for the Ramsey household with Jacob Ramsey also on the pitch for the Villans.
Villa were firmly on top from then on and had a flurry of chances to extend their advantage, but Diaby, John McGinn and Luiz all failed to convert decent opportunities.
And the hosts were made to pay for their wasteful finishing just moments later when Foster got on the end of a flick-on from Johann Berg Gudmundsson and hammered a low shot past Emiliano Martinez to bring his side level for the second time in the match.
The home side continued to boss the game in terms of possession and territory following the equaliser, but despite carving out several half chances, their frustrations kept growing as they repeatedly fluffed their lines at crucial moments.
Emery decided to bring on Jhon Duran in the final 10 minutes, and it proved to be a stroke of genius as the 20-year-old got into the box and was brought down by Ramsey, which Stuart Attwell deemed a penalty.
Luiz stepped up to take the spot kick and fired a rising shot that hit the underside of the crossbar before bouncing on the ground and back into the roof of the net.
That proved to be the dagger in the heart of the Clarets, who struggled to create any chances of real substance in the final knockings.
That win takes Villa level on 42 points with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League overnight, before Arsenal take on Fulham tomorrow.
The Villans will return to action on January 6 against Middlesbrough in the third round of the FA Cup, while Burnley will face Tottenham Hotspur a day earlier.
Devesh Jaganath
