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It simply cannot continue. The logic defies sense for it to persist. And yet, it does.

A Record-Chasing Triumph Against the Odds

The Claret and Blue army arrived at Saturday's top-flight clash at Chelsea aiming for a historic record of eleven consecutive wins, matching runs set in 1897 and 1914. For much of the match, achieving it seemed improbable, as the hosts controlled proceedings, took the lead, and could have added several more. However, Chelsea have shown frailty with a lead, particularly at home, while Villa now possess a baffling habit of securing away victories from losing positions.

First, the striker equalised, the ball cannoning in off his shin and the post after his initial shot was blocked by Robert Sánchez. Later on, he nodded in the decisive goal with a deft header. These were just his fourth and fifth league goals of the season. Watkins might feel a bit of luck was overdue, and it's undeniable the first goal had a large slice of good fortune. At the moment, though, Lady Luck seems to be smiling on Villa.

The Numbers Behind an Unlikely Streak

Nine of these eleven straight wins have been by a solitary goal. They have kept a shutout in only one of those matches. Their underlying metrics have been superior in just six of those fixtures, and in two of those, the advantage was 0.2 or less. Their last five away Premier League victories have all come from behind. This pattern should not, yet observers have been claiming that for some time, and Villa continue winning. The key question is whether their results will finally match their performances or if their level of play can improve to justify the points haul.

This seems unsustainable be possible, but everybody's been saying that for a while and Villa continue winning.

A Core Trait: Resilience

Coming from behind is not merely a feature of the current campaign. Over the past three seasons, no team has gained more points when trailing than Villa's fifty-four; Eighteen of those have been secured this term, 50% more than the next best team, Sunderland. This season, Villa substitutes have contributed nine goals. Two key observations can be made about Villa under Unai Emery.

• Firstly, they possess a profound self-belief that means no deficit ever feels beyond them. This is, to an extent, self-perpetuating: the more they come from behind, the more they are convinced they can do it again.
• Second, Emery has proven exceptionally skilled at influencing games through his substitutions.

The Emery Effect

While Chelsea won the expected goals 2.1-1.4, Villa were dominant from the moment, around the hour mark, when Emery made a triple substitution. Watkins replaced Malen, who had found it difficult with limited service. Suddenly, the ball was held up better, and Watkins's runs behind the defensive line caused problems. Onana and Jadon Sancho also entered, strengthening the center and providing the width they had lacked earlier.

The Blues registered ten attempts to Villa's zero before the substitutions; afterwards, Villa created eleven opportunities to Chelsea's four. By the final whistle, Villa were commanding and could have won by a greater margin. Not for the first time, opposing manager Enzo Maresca seemed unable to react as the game turned against him; the sense remains that he is better at implementing a game plan with preparation time than adapting in the moment.

Moment of Magic

Villa have also developed a happy habit of players producing moments of sensational quality to alter games. Rogers has scored crucial goals at Leeds, West Ham, and against Manchester United. The sight of him working the ball onto his right foot and whipping a finish home has become a recurring theme. It was the winger who changed the game from the bench at Leeds. Watkins swung the game at Stamford Bridge. The contributions of players such as Konsa and Viktor Lindelof on Saturday were key. At present, it's seldom the whole side playing flawlessly, but sufficient individuals within it stepping up to earn the victories.

The Road Ahead

Can they keep going? They now sit three points behind the league leaders, and as the season nears its midway point, they must be viewed as in the championship conversation, certainly more so than teams like Chelsea or defending champions Liverpool. Tuesday's away fixture at Arsenal will be a major examination of that claim. Villa beat Arsenal on the first weekend of December, a match in which they not only won the xG but posted an xG 40% higher than any other side has managed against Arsenal in the league this term.

Arsenal have since put together their own sequence of single-goal victories, winning three in a row without ever being wholly convincing. Tuesday will be a test for both sides – and if Villa win a twelfth game in a row, it would become increasingly difficult to dismiss their title credentials.