By Dan Harrison

Forget Joe McElderry and Cheryl Cole. Only one person could lay claim to having the X-Factor in the North East this week.

That man is James Milner. Many column inches have been written lately about the England ace flourishing in his new central role.

At Sunderland there was no sign of Milner slowing down, as he created the first goal for Emile Heskey, before unleashing a second-half thunderbolt to make sure of three points.

With Villa heading to the Stadium of Light on the back of a monumental success at Manchester United, the only real concern was how much energy Martin O'Neill's men had left in the tank.

The Villa boss had no such worries, naming the same team that toppled the champions.

Once again his claret and blue troops did him proud at both ends of the park.

Indeed, their fitness levels were tested during a first period in which Sunderland enjoyed their fair share of possession.

But Villa showed maximum concentration to limit the Black Cats, as well as carving out enough chances of their own to deservedly make a breakthrough.

Stewart Downing was unlucky not to give the visitors an early lead, seeing his sweetly-struck free-kick come back off the bar.

The Black Cats went close with a long-range effort of their own, as Jordan Henderson fired just past Brad Friedel's post from the corner of the box.

It was the opportunism of Heskey, though, that produced a deadlock-breaker. The striker slipped clear of the back line to thump home Milner's intricate pass, after the midfielder had collected from Stiliyan Petrov just outside the area.

Villa had to be on their guard as Steve Bruce's men looked to control possession and while Friedel made a stunning save to keep out Kieran Richardson's right-foot volley, it was another near faultless display from the back four.

On the one occasion they were exposed, Andy Reid made a hash of his finish, slicing a first-time effort after racing on to Darren Bent's flick-on.

But as long as the visitors remained a threat on the counter-attack, the claret and blue faithful could sense a second goal.

They thought it had arrived when Ashley Young hit the post from a tight angle, following the most elegant of build-ups, orchestrated by Petrov in the central ground.

While that didn't quite wrap up the points, Milner's lightning bolt emphatically did so.

There seemed very little on when Milner picked up the ball nearly 30-yards from goal. One touch to control and another to set himself were all it took before the man of the moment rattled the top corner of Marton Fulop's net.

Sunderland were down and out, and down in numbers, when Lorik Carna saw red for a second booking 11 minutes from time.

To their credit, they kept probing at the Villa defence, with substitute Lee Cattermole heading over Richardson's cross late on.

By then, however, the travelling away supporters were in festive mood.

"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to see the Villa win away," they sang.

It is a feeling they've become rather used to in recent weeks.