Aston Villa boss Unai Emery on Leeds United's 'best characteristic' after Villa Park draw

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery says Leeds United's competitiveness is their best characteristic after his side needed an 88th-minute goal to draw at Villa Park.

Leeds hit the front in the first half through Anton Stach's sublime free-kick but Villa grew more ominous in the second half and hit the post through Emi Buendia before finally finding a breakthrough. Tammy Abraham stuck out a knee to deflect the ball up and over Dominic Calvert-Lewin to equalise with two minutes remaining. The result means Villa have just one win in their last five in all competitions but they still sit third in the Premier League table.

"One way [to see it is] a loss of two points at home," said Emery. "How we were feeling here, so strong, it was difficult to get points for teams here. Even the best teams in the league in Arsenal, Manchester City. And how now, three matches at home, or four, we lost against Brentford and Everton and drew today. How we are overall in the table on day 27 - we can analyse everything with a different part of the process we have."

Emery felt the match was in control for Villa, even if they went a goal down to Stach's free-kick, but like his opposite number Daniel Farke considered it a good point in the end.

"Today the match we played, more or less, we planned the first half how they were competing, performing, feeling confidence," he said. "Everything happened in the first half like we planned. We were losing, we deserved to be losing but not much. We needed to try to be positive and continue with our gameplan. They were defending lower [in the second half] and everything we did, like we planned, and scored in the 88th. In the 88th minute we were thinking fantastic. In the minute 90 we were thinking to get two points more. It's a good point. Keep going forward, improving things, getting confidence progressively every day in training, try to understand why we are like we are and work hard like we did always."

Emery added that Leeds have made things difficult for his side in two games this season, though Villa were victorious at Elland Road. "Was totally different, at home, away," he said. "It was a difficult match there, we won but it was difficult. They are performing well and competing very well. Their best characteristic is how they're competing.

"The Premier League is very difficult for us but we are third. Our objective is to focus each match how we are in the table in each moment."