Matt Maher analysis: A win that shows Aston Villa may remain in the Premier League title race

Beat bottom-placed Sheffield United on Friday and Villa will be top for the first time in more than a decade, at the latest stage of the season for a quarter of a century. Already, Emery’s men have made another bit of club history. No Villa team has won more top-flight matches in a calendar year than the 25 they have now managed.

Some of those supporters in the away section Martinez turned to face at the finish may have been pondering his antics during a chaotic finish, which had seen Boubacar Kamara sent off for lashing out during a melee, the goalkeeper had started by trying to drag Brentford striker and fellow wind-up-merchant Neal Maupay off the floor. More on that shortly.

The bottom line, despite the late carnage, was a third successive away match in which Villa have fought back to take points after going behind, this time missing several key men who have propelled their ascent up the table.

There is still plenty for Emery to work on when it comes to Villa’s away performances. They often pale in comparison to those seen at home and for long periods here, they laboured against a Brentford team who, though boasting a record of just four defeats in their last 27 league matches, were seriously depleted. Without the reckless lunge of Ben Mee toward Leon Bailey with 19 minutes to go, which resulted in the home defender being dismissed following a VAR review, it is doubtful Villa would have won the day.

But by heck, you write off Emery’s men at your peril. Regardless of the circumstances, they continue to find a way. Increasingly, Bailey is the man who has the answers.

Already missing Lucas Digne and Douglas Luiz through suspension and then losing Youri Tielemans through injury, Emery was at least able to name the Jamaica international on the bench.

Within six minutes of being introduced midway through the second half, he had been involved in the Mee incident. Within 12, he had brought Villa back into the match with a teasing cross to the far post which Alex Moreno, making his first league start of the season, headed beyond home keeper Mark Flekken to cancel out Lewis Keane-Potter’s first opener for which he had been most culpable, switching off at a corner and allowing the home forward to pounce on a loose ball. Moreno, for long destined to be the day’s villain, left the Gtech Stadium sporting a broad smile and clutching the match ball after his first Premier League goal.

Bailey, already averaging a goal or assist every 66 minutes in the league prior to yesterday, is enjoying an excellent season and the frustration for Emery may be the puzzling drop in form of record signing Moussa Diaby, who struggled to make any impact before being replaced by his former Bayer Leverkusen team-mate.

With Villa level, the stage was set for Ollie Watkins to net the winner against his former club, heading home after Kamara had flicked on Jacob Ramsey’s corner.

It was his 14th goal of the season and the last three – the winner at Tottenham, a last-minute equaliser at Bournemouth and now this – have all been crucial.

Much as yesterday felt a day which showed, eventually, the strength in depth of Villa’s squad, Watkins is one of two players they really cannot afford to lose if their remarkable push is to continue.

The other is Martinez, though it might be said the keeper, never far from the action when controversy is brewing, may have overstepped the mark on this occasion.

It blotted another super performance from the World Cup winner, who denied Mikkel Damsgaard at point-blank range early on and then produced a vital save to prevent Yoane Wissa from doubling the lead and probably putting the match beyond Villa’s reach.

Yet after Watkins’ goal celebration, pointing at a supporter he claimed had been abusing him throughout the match, had sparked the first of several melees, Martinez was suddenly at the centre of everything.

Nearly beaten by a Bailey backpass which would have vied for own goal of the season, he made the most of minimal contact from Maupay and then continued the feud in stoppage time, hauling the striker off the ground and sparking another clash which ended with Kamara dismissed for pushing Yarmoliuk in the face.

The midfielder seemed visibly upset with his goalkeeper, though he could hardly claim any mitigation for his own actions. Still, the finish felt entirely unnecessary from a Villa team which, having once more displayed their reserves of strength, showed a little too much fight in the literal sense.

How much Kamara will be missed in home matches with the Blades and Burnley and the Boxing Day trip to Manchester United remains to be seen.

Just right now, you’d back Villa to cope with anything thrown at them.