Nottingham Forest are now three points above the relegation zone and, whilst they had chances to win this game, they will likely feel satisfied that they left the City Ground with a point.
Forest and Aston Villa both played in the UEFA Europa League in midweek and they could meet in the next round of that competition if both progress from their quarter final ties.
Balancing European football with the Premier League has been a challenge for Forest all season but they battled well and came from behind to get the draw.
Unai Emery's side began the game as the stronger side but there was not much between the two teams in terms of attacking openings.
Villa took the lead after an own goal by Forest centre-back Murillo. Morgan Rogers delivered a low cross and the Brazilian could not sort his feet out, before putting it into his own net.
After the goal, Rogers hit the bar when he missed a chance to double the lead for the away side.
However, Forest were level at the break when Neco Williams fired in a curled shot from the edge of the box and beat Villa keeper Marco Bizot at his near post.
In the second half, Ollie Watkins and Rogers both missed good opportunities to put the side from the West Midlands in front. They blasted the ball over the bar from close range.
Chris Wood came off the bench for Forest as they also went looking for a winner but the game ended level.
Here are four takeaways from the match.
Neco Williams offers an attacking threat
The Welsh left back has started all but one of Forest's Premier League games this season. He has been a consistent performer and nearly always plays the full ninety minutes.
During the international break, he suffered disappointment for Wales after they failed to qualify for the World Cup but he returned to Nottingham and showed no signs of a setback.
Before the break, he provided two assists in Forest's 3-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur and now against Villa he scored the crucial goal.
Before the goal, he also went close with another shot from a similar position that forced the keeper into a save.
Remaining solid at the back will still be a priority for Vitor Pereira's side but if players like Williams can chip in with goals and assists then that could significantly benefit the team between now and the end of the season.
Forest's New Zealand international striker had been out of action since mid October but, after playing the first forty five minutes away in Portugal on Thursday, he made his return off the bench in the Premier League.
Whilst he did not have a clear opening at goal in the twenty minutes that he was on the pitch, his arrival gave the home crowd a lift.
Pereira also left fellow striker Igor Jesus on the pitch as Forest played with two attacking options. This may be something that Forest utilise in the coming matches as goalscoring has been one of their problems at times this season.
Forest remain without a win in their last eight home games
Partly as a result of their struggle for goals at times, Forest are without a home win since December 14th.
They have gone eight home league games without a win.
However, in that time they have lost three times (Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City) but have drawn the other five.
There will be some games, like the draws with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fulham and Crystal Palace that will likely feel like missed opportunities.
However, draws against Arsenal and Aston Villa are not bad outcomes.
A defeat would have been a disappointment and a setback. However, the point moves them once again in the right direction.
Risking one point for the sake of three points, despite the benefits that a win would have provided, could have been a mistake if they ended up leaving with no points.
It also means they are unbeaten in their last four league games, with a win and three draws. They will likely have wanted more wins but they are still picking up points at a much better rate than Spurs, for example.
What does it mean for the league table?
As it is, they have a three point lead to the bottom three at the moment.
West Ham have climbed out of the drop zone this weekend but, after another defeat, Spurs find themselves in 18th.
The Hammers are a point below Forest and the Reds are also now level on points with Leeds United.
This could be a big week for Forest as they have a home European second leg against FC Porto before they host Burnley.
The game against Scott Parker's side will bring a new challenge as Forest will be expected to win so they will have to deal with that label. However, if they were to win then it could strengthen their position.
There are still six games to play and more points will be needed.
The point from this game looks like a valuable one but time will tell if it was a point that contributed towards survival or meant it was another home match without a win.