Unai Emery reflects on 'good point' for Aston Villa after late Leeds draw

Abraham came off the bench to score for the second successive Saturday and prevent Villa sliding to a fourth defeat in five home matches.

Emery, whose third-placed team missed the chance to close within five points of Premier League leaders Arsenal, acknowledged the result could be seen as two points dropped.

But after watching his team labour for long periods after Anton Stach had fired Leeds ahead, the boss was keen to focus on the positives.

Burnley's late equaliser at Chelsea maintained Villa's six-point advantage over the London club.

“It is a good point. A good point,” said Emery, “We need to keep going forward, improving things, getting confidence progressively in matches and in training. 

“We need to try to understand how we are and why we are like we are. 

“We need to work hard like we always did. We are third and it is very difficult for us and it is very difficult for other teams. 

“Our objective is clear - focusing on each match. The next step forward is against Wolverhampton.”

Villa had lost just three times in 16 months at home before being beaten by Everton and Brentford and going out of the FA Cup to Newcastle.

Stach’s 30-yard free-kick had them on course for another defeat before Abraham flicked home with his knee for just their second goal at home in four league matches.

Asked why playing at home had suddenly become so much of a struggle, Emery replied: “Maybe (before) we were more clinical or our energy was full.

“Now, we are trying to recover energy and recover our mood. I am happy with how we are reacting. 

“The last two matches at home in the Premier League we won against Brighton and drew today. OK, it is not bad.

“We were coming before with bad results against Brentford and Everton. Everything that happened, we are trying to understand and correct it.

“We must be motivated how we are, third in the table.”