Thrillers at the Villa: The five unsung heroes who have Emery's boys flying high

Unai Emery is keen to keep a lid on expectations but Aston Villa have enjoyed a remarkable transformation under the Spaniard.

Leon Bailey scored a late winner against Pep Guardiola's side at Villa Park on Wednesday night to record their third win in four games and move them above Man City and into third in the Premier League table.

It continues an amazing season that has already seen them beat Chelsea and Tottenham and they will be seen as serious contenders to claim a place in Europe's elite should they continue their upward trajectory.

The bedrock to Villa's strong campaign has been their home form. They have won an astonishing 13 successive Premier League games at Villa Park.

Mail Sport's Jack Gaughan highlights five unsung heroes who have Unai Emery's boys flying high.

Villa spent around £26million on the Brazilian when Steven Gerrard was in charge but he lost nearly all of his debut campaign in England to a ruptured achilles tendon sustained two games in.

Carlos had built a reputation as a strong no-nonsense centre half at Sevilla and is still fighting his way into this team under Unai Emery.

He did a superb job helping to nullify Erling Haaland on Wednesday night, not needing to attempt a single tackle all night.

He’s had fitness problems this year too and Villa need to keep him fit given the prolonged absence of Tyrone Mings

With a first England call-up now under his belt, Konsa is thriving and showing a versatility for Emery.

Matty Cash dropped to the bench in midweek , with Konsa tasked with keeping Phil Foden quiet from right back rather than his normal central berth.

There has been an element of the 26-year-old remaining in the shadows and overlooked for others but he is now earning deserved plaudits.

Even from within