Aston Villa 3-2 Burnley

Douglas Luiz netted a late penalty as Aston Villa overcame Burnley at Villa Park, ensuring the club will end the year in the Premier League's top three.

Birthday boy Ollie Watkins picked up two assists in the first half, teeing up Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby either side of Zeki Amdouni’s reply for the Clarets.

When Sander Berge was shown a second yellow card ten minutes into the second half, the hosts missed a collection of great chances before Lyle Foster pulled the away side level again.

Unai Emery’s men kept pushing forward and won a spot kick when Jhon Duran nipped in front of former Villan Aaron Ramsey with three minutes remaining.

Luiz sent the home fans into raptures as his penalty cannoned in off the underside of the crossbar, securing a club record 32nd league and cup win of the calendar year.

Diaby and Alex Moreno came into the starting XI for the club’s 100^th top-flight meeting with the Clarets, and the former volleyed wide from a corner early on as Villa looked to take the game to their opponents.

It was Moreno’s turn to create the next opening when he challenged for a diagonal ball before chipping it up for Watkins, whose snapshot was saved by James Trafford.

Burnley’s game plan differed vastly from the previous visitors to Villa Park, Sheffield United, with Vincent Kompany’s side pressing high and committing numbers to their attacks.

And the away side had just seen Josh Brownhill fire two shots when they fell behind as Bailey fired home in front of the Holte End, collecting Watkins’ cross and beating Trafford with the aid of a deflection.

The lead lasted for just three minutes, however, as a free-kick ended with Dara O’Shea’s header across goal being slammed in by Amdouni.

Burnley had the ball in the net again soon after when Foster raced away and beat Emi Martinez, but the strike was ruled out for a very narrow offside.

A VAR check went in Villa’s favour once more when the hosts retook the lead just before the break, with Watkins beating the offside trap and teeing up Diaby for a back post tap-in.

Villa established more control on the match at the start of the second half, and their quest for another home win was aided by Berge’s second yellow card after a shirt pull on Luiz.

But Burnley’s ten men showed they wouldn’t lie down and roll over by going on the offensive and seeing Foster poke a shot narrowly wide.

A flurry of four chances in two minutes offered the home side an opportunity to put the game away, but Trafford denied John McGinn and Diaby before Luiz curled wide and Jacob Ramsey blazed over.

Crosses from wide areas were causing havoc in the Burnley box and Diaby blazed two shots over the bar in as many minutes as the visitors rode their luck.

And Villa were made to pay for their failure to find a third goal when Foster raced onto a flick-on and beat Martinez at his near post.

Former Villan Ramsey had been given a good reception when he came on as a substitute, and he inadvertently gave his boyhood team a helping hand when he felled Duran in the box with three minutes left.

Villa Park held a collective breath as Luiz took his time before sending a penalty cannoning in off the underside of the crossbar.

And the home side navigated nine minutes of stoppage time to ensure the year ended on a positive note.