Douglas Luiz’s late penalty gives Aston Villa win over 10-man Burnley | Premier League

Just as it appeared Burnley had ended their record as the last team in the Premier League to have gained a point from a losing position, controversy reared its ugly head once more as the referee, Stuart Attwell, awarded the softest of late penalties for Douglas Luiz to convert and so enable Aston Villa to return to winning ways.

Four minutes of regulation time remained when Aaron Ramsey, the former Villa academy graduate, prepared to clear the ball from midway in his own penalty area. Unbeknown to the Burnley substitute, from over his shoulder appeared Jhon Duran who was only willing to go over the Burnley player’s leg to ground via the merest contact. Attwell pointed to the penalty spot and Douglas Luiz, adding to the drama by taking as long a time as possible to compose himself and test James Trafford’s nerve, eventually rattled the crossbar with a shot that only belatedly crossed the line.

It was so harsh on Burnley who, despite having Sander Berge sent off early in the second half, had twice come from behind to equalise. Instead they remain five points off the safety zone as Villa moved level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Coming into the game on the back of their first successive winless matches in this Premier League season, Villa were made to sweat for their interval lead, triggered by goals set up by Ollie Watkins on his 28th birthday.

The decision to recall Moussa Diaby but retain the penetration of Leon Bailey reaped immediate dividends as both scored. But in between Burnley equalised, through Zeki Amdouni, and also had a tight VAR offside decision go against Lyle Foster before he netted with the scores level.

Villa almost played with a back three, when in possession, with Bailey on the right flank balancing off Alex Moreno, in for Lucas Digne at left wing-back. This offered Burnley the dilemma of how to deal with the pace and trickery of both Diaby and Bailey as they dominated the right flank. It was from this position that the latter gave Villa the lead, as he came in onto Watkins’ squared cross, following Diego Carlos’s long right-to-left diagonal, with a great first touch before blasting home into the near top corner.

Burnley, encouraged by their victory at Fulham last time on the road, came into the game at this point, however. Foster had embarrassed Clément Lenglet by robbing the ball off him to advance in on goal only to pull his cross behind Amdouni, Josh Brownhill eventually shooting just wide.

So when Johann Gudmundsson swerved in a superb free-kick for Dara O’Shea to head across for Amdouni to volley home, it was not harsh on Villa that Burnley levelled. After Foster’s effort was called offside, however, Watkins was given onside at the other end as he ran on to Konsa’s clipped pass down the inside-right channel. Choosing his moment, the England forward pulled his cross back for Diaby to touch home into the far side-netting.

If Villa were short of their swashbuckling best in the first period, they turned on the style after Burnley went down to 10 men in the 56th minute, Berge sent off for a petty second yellow card when tugging Douglas Luiz’s shirt.

Diaby should have scored three times, and Jacob Ramsey once, as Villa cut some stylish moves – only for Burnley to equalise 18 minutes from time. Trafford went long, Gudmundsson flicked on a header and Foster did brilliantly to hold off his man, take a couple of touches and slam in the equaliser at a near post Emiliano Martínez should have been protecting better.

Vincent Kompany lost his customary composure as he raged at the fourth official at the penalty decision in the 86th minute. The Burnley manager then appeared to be shown the yellow card as he emotively contested a handball that was not awarded in his team’s favour. The fates, it seems, are not with Burnley.