Goals from Emile Heskey and James Milner moved Villa third in the Premier League with a hard-fought win over 10-man Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

It was the claret and blues’ third straight Premier League win, stretching their unbeaten run to six league games, and enough to see them leapfrog Arsenal -  for 24 hours at least.

Villa, brimming with confidence from Saturday’s win over Manchester United, came close early on when Stewart Downing fired a free-kick against the crossbar.

But they were soon celebrating when striker Heskey latched onto Milner’s 24th-minute pass and drilled into the left corner.

Sunderland had more of the possession but it was Villa who had the better of the chances and Young almost made it two early in the second half, cutting in from the right to fire against the woodwork.

But it was to prove immaterial as Milner unleashed an unstoppable rocket from 25 yards to make it two just after the hour mark.

Villa’s defence held firm and, when Sunderland’s Lorik Cana was sent off for a lunge on 79 minutes, the home side’s hopes of a comeback evaporated.