Gabby Agbonlahor was in fine form as he inspired Aston Villa to victory over Norwich in a five-goal thriller.

The Villa forward twice laid the ball on a plate for Darren Bent to finish from close range with his own goal sandwiched in between.

Norwich gave the home side a scare, though, having initially taken the lead through Anthony Pilkington before they reduced the three-goal deficit late on to ensure a tense finish.

Villa manager Alex McLeish stuck with the same starting line-up which claimed a 2-2 draw at Sunderland, while there was a place on the bench for on-loan Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas, who has recovered from his injury problems.

Norwich played with a real purpose in the early stages of the game and Elliott Bennett forced Villa goalkeeper Shay Given into a smart save, blocking a low shot from the edge of the box.

Bent had a great chance to put the claret and blues ahead in the 18th minute when he latched on to Agbonlahor’s flick, but Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy narrowed the angle to save.

However, the visitors positive intent was rewarded in the 25th minute when Alan Hutton fouled Grant Holt on the edge of the penalty area.

Pilkington curled the resulting free-kick round the Villa wall and, even though he only had to make up a few yards, Given was unable to get a hand on the ball, which flew into the top-right corner.

But Villa were on level terms five minutes later when Emile Heskey released Agbonlahor down the left to outpace Norwich full-back Kyle Naughton, before drilling a low cross into the six-yard box which Bent tapped home from two yards.

Agbonlahor remained Norwich’s tormentor-in-chief after the interval and he made defender Leon Barnett pay for a sloppy backpass three minutes into the second-half.

Barnett underhit his pass to Ruddy and Agbonlahor was alert to latch on to the ball before rounding the Norwich keeper to slot into an unguarded net.

It remained an open contest and Heskey went close shortly afterwards following good work by N’Zogbia down the right flank ,while Steve Morison tested Given’s reflexes with a low angled shot.

Agbonlahor was a real thorn in the Norwich defence and set-up Villa’s third in the 62nd minute, seizing on the loose ball to cross for Bent, who applied a simple close-range finish

Jenas came on to make his Villa debut, replacing Heskey in the 67th minute and making some encouraging early bursts forward.

But it was the visitors who ensured a tense finish, when Morison headed Grant Holt’s backpost cross past Given with 13 minutes left on the clock.

Norwich pressed for an equaliser in the remaining minutes, but the Villa defence stood firm to collect the points.