Aston Villa 2-1 AZ Alkmaar

Diego Carlos and Ollie Watkins were on target as Aston Villa came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory against AZ Alkmaar.

Centre-back Carlos rose highest to head home Leon Bailey’s corner just after the hour mark and register his first goal for the club, cancelling out Vangelis Pavlidis’ 52^nd-minute opener.

Watkins, with nine minutes remaining, then nodded in his 10^th of the season from substitute Douglas Luiz’s clipped ball over the top to cap the comeback and secure all three points from an engaging encounter.

It ensures Villa, who saw off their Dutch opponents 4-1 in the reverse fixture two weeks ago, have now won three successive matches in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

The triumph leaves Unai Emery’s side level on nine points at the top of Group E with Legia Warszawa, with the Polish side next up in the competition at Villa Park.

Ahead of kick-off, Villa Park united to pay tribute to club-record appearance holder Charlie Aitken, who made 660 appearances in claret and blue and sadly passed away in late October.

Villa showed four changes from last weekend’s defeat at Nottingham Forest, which ended a six-match unbeaten run, as Carlos, Bailey, Clément Lenglet and Youri Tielemans were recalled.

And it was Lenglet who thought he had registered Villa’s opener with just three minutes on the clock only to be denied by VAR.

Watkins saw his header cleared off the goal-line from Bailey’s corner and the Jamaica international sent in another cross which Lenglet headed home, before seeing the goal ruled out for offside.

In-form AZ striker Pavlidis tried his luck from distance and moments later sent wide Ibrahim Sadiq’s low cross from close range.

Tielemans’ long-range strike was deflected narrowly off target at the other end amid a lively opening quarter.

Clear-cut opportunities became few and far between as the first half progressed as both sides battled for dominance, Pavlidis seeing his effort ruled out for offside before testing Emi Martínez prior to the half-time whistle.

And it was the visitors, flying high in the Eredivisie, who opened the scoring early in the second half as Pavlidis latched on to Riechedly Bazoer’s ball over the top and raced towards goal before slotting past Martínez.

Villa went straight on the offensive for a leveller and, following a close-range chance for Boubacar Kamara, Carlos leapt to head home Bailey’s corner and level matters.

Emery made a triple substitution with just under 20 minutes remaining as Luiz, Matty Cash and Nicolò Zaniolo were introduced.

And it paid dividends as Luiz provided an inch-perfect ball over the top for Watkins to flick past Mathew Ryan and complete the turnaround, inflicting a second defeat on an AZ side who have only lost three times this season.

Villa, having got back to winning ways with Emery's 100th victory in UEFA competitions, now entertain Fulham on Sunday aiming to head into November’s international period on a high.