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This surely should not continue. The logic defies rational sense that it persists. Yet, persist it does.

A Record-Chasing Triumph Against the Odds

Aston Villa entered Saturday's Premier League clash at Chelsea aiming for a club record of eleven consecutive wins, a feat last achieved in the distant past. For the opening hour, this feat seemed highly unlikely, as the hosts dominated proceedings, took the lead, and could have added to their advantage. However, Chelsea have shown frailty with a lead, especially at home, while Villa now possess a remarkable habit of snatching away victories from losing positions.

First, Ollie Watkins leveled the scores, the ball ricocheting in off his leg and the post after his first effort was saved by the goalkeeper. Later on, he secured the winner with a precise header. These were just his fourth and fifth league goals of the campaign. The forward might believe a bit of luck was due, and it's undeniable the first goal had a large slice of luck. Currently, however, fortune seems to be favoring Villa.

The Statistics Behind an Implausible Run

The last nine of these 11 straight wins were by a solitary goal. They have kept a clean sheet in only one of those games. Their expected goals (xG) have been better in only six of those fixtures, and in a couple of those, the advantage was minimal. Their last five road Premier League victories have all come from behind. This formula should not, yet observers have been claiming that for some time, and Villa keep on winning. The key question is whether their results will finally match their displays or if their performances can improve to match the results.

This should not be sustainable, but everyone has been stating that for a while and Villa keep on winning.

A Core Characteristic: Resilience

Fighting back is not merely a trait of the current campaign. Over the past three seasons, no team has gained more points when trailing than Villa's fifty-four; 18 of those have been secured this term, fifty percent more than the next best team, Sunderland. This season, Villa substitutes have scored 9 goals. Two important points can be made about Villa under their manager.

• First, they possess a deep-rooted self-belief that means no deficit ever feels beyond them. This is, to an extent, self-perpetuating: the more they achieve comebacks, the more they are convinced they can do it again.
• Secondly, Emery has proven very skilled at influencing games with his use of the bench.

A Masterful Change

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. Ollie Watkins came on for Donyell Malen, who had struggled with few chances. Suddenly, the ball began to stick, and Watkins's movement behind the defensive line created issues. Amadou Onana and Sancho also came on, strengthening the center and providing the width they had eschewed earlier.

Chelsea had ten attempts to Villa's none before the substitutions; following them, Villa created 11 chances to Chelsea's four. By the final whistle, Villa were commanding and could have won more comfortably. Not for the first time, opposing manager Maresca struggled to react as the game turned against him; the impression remains that he is better at implementing a game plan with time to prepare than making adjustments on the fly.

Moment of Magic

Villa have cultivated a welcome habit of players producing pieces of match-winning quality to alter games. Morgan Rogers has been decisive at Leeds, West Ham, and against Manchester United. The image of him working the ball onto his favored foot and whipping a finish into the top corner has become a seasonal theme. It was the winger who changed the game after coming on at Leeds. Watkins changed the game at Stamford Bridge. The performances of players such as Konsa and Lindelof on Saturday were also vital. Right now, it's seldom the entire team playing flawlessly, but enough individuals within it stepping up to secure the victories.

The Road Ahead

Can they keep going? They now sit three points behind the league leaders, and as the season approaches its midway point, they have to be considered as part of the title race, certainly more so than teams like Chelsea or defending champions Liverpool. Tuesday's away fixture at Arsenal will be a significant examination of that status. Villa beat Arsenal earlier this month, a match in which they not only won the xG but posted an xG forty percent higher than any other side has managed against Arsenal in the league this term.

Arsenal have assembled their own sequence of narrow victories, winning three in a row without ever being entirely convincing. The upcoming clash will be a challenge for both teams – and if Villa win a 12th game in a row, it would become almost impossible to deny their title credentials.