Analysis: Premier League title talk is fair

The talk of Aston Villa being in the title race will only intensify now.

It was a dramatic finish - one of the most significant at Villa Park for a while - but it was Unai Emery's side who prevailed to underline they could have the staying power.

Putting them in title contention perhaps still seems fanciful, as the squad is not as deep as Arsenal's or Manchester City's and the club remain restricted by profit and sustainability rules.

But the facts are inescapable. Villa are second, before Manchester City's game with Sunderland later on Saturday, and have won nine of their past 10 league games.

The neutral would say a point would have been a fair reflection of an entertaining game in which both teams refused to settle for a draw. That is where Emery's side are and what he demands. He wouldn't have been happy with a point after Villa went ahead.

Emi Buendia's strike shows how Emery's men can power on and drive through one of their biggest challenges.

Buendia was expected to leave in the summer, after spending the second half of last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, and his resurgence has surprised even those at the club.

But he embodies Villa right now - an underdog who is taking his game to new heights and ready to cause an upset.