Aston Villa celebrated a memorable December which saw back-to-back home triumphs over Manchester City and Arsenal and a new club record of 15 consecutive league wins at a raucous Villa Park.
The month started with a 90th-minute leveller from Ollie Watkins to secure a hard-fought 2-2 draw on the road against AFC Bournemouth.
The striker glanced a near post effort beyond Neto moments before the game ticked into stoppage time to salvage a draw for the visitors.
And the late drama provided the perfect platform for a week that will live long in the memory for all Villa supporters.
Leon Bailey’s second-half strike secured a deserved 1-0 victory over Manchester City as an outstanding Villa equalled a club-record 14 successive home league wins in style.
A vociferous Villa Park was sent into raptures by the 74th-minute winner, which capped a superb, high-tempo display from Unai Emery’s dominant side – full of energy, determination and quality.
The success ended a 15-match winless run against City in all competitions stretching back a decade.
And more joy was to come just three days later, as John McGinn netted the only goal of the game after seven minutes to register a 1-0 triumph over Arsenal.
Villa’s magnificent home run of 15 successive home league wins broke the club’s previous record, which was set in 1903 and equalled in the 1930/31 season.
Emery’s side returned to European action in mid-December as they secured top spot in UEFA Europa Conference League Group E courtesy of a 1-1 draw against HŠK Zrinjski in Mostar.
Nicolò Zaniolo’s first goal for the club helped confirm Villa as group winners and ensured safe passage to the Round of 16, on a night that also saw Filip Marschall and Tommi O’Reilly make their senior debuts for the club.
Villa quickly returned to domestic duties as they came from behind late on to see off Brentford 2-1 in a dramatic Premier League clash – setting another club record for 25 top-flight wins in a calendar year.
Watkins bagged the winner against his former club in the 85th minute, his 14th goal of the season, after Álex Moreno’s first league goal had drawn the visitors level moments earlier, in a clash that saw both sides reduced to 10 men.
The history-making Villans secured their first win over the Bees in west London since 1953 and first in the league since 1947 – extending their impressive run to one defeat in 16 in all competitions.
Further drama was to follow three days before Christmas as Zaniolo came off the bench to score his first league goal in claret and blue and rescue a point against Sheffield United at Villa Park.
The Italian glanced home Douglas Luiz’s cross in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time to extend the club’s unbeaten run to 10 games, albeit ending our sequence of 15 consecutive home league wins.
The Villans tasted their sole defeat of a hectic December on Boxing Day as they fell to a frustrating 3-2 reverse at Manchester United having held at two-goal advantage at the break.
Two goals in five minutes from McGinn and Leander Dendoncker midway through the first half put Villa firmly in control at Old Trafford
But the hosts completed a second-half turnaround – marking the halfway point in the 2023/24 campaign with Villa sitting third in the table.
And that’s where they finished the year as Luiz netted a late penalty to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory over Burnley.
Birthday boy Watkins picked up two assists in the first half, teeing up Bailey and Moussa Diaby, although the encounter remained level until the 89th minute.
Luiz duly sent the home fans wild as his penalty cannoned in off the underside of the crossbar, securing a club-record 32nd league and cup win of the calendar year.
