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This surely should not go on. It makes no sense that it persists. And yet, it does.

A Historic Triumph Against the Odds

The Claret and Blue army arrived at the weekend's top-flight clash at Chelsea looking to equal a club record of eleven consecutive wins, a feat last achieved in 1897 and 1914. For much of the match, achieving it seemed highly unlikely, as the hosts controlled proceedings, took the lead, and could have added several more. But, Chelsea are vulnerability with a lead, especially at home, while Villa now possess a baffling habit of snatching wins on the road after falling behind.

First, the striker equalised, the ball cannoning in off his shin and the post after his initial shot was saved by Robert Sánchez. Subsequently, he secured the decisive goal with a precise header. These were just his fourth and fifth league goals of the campaign. The forward might feel a bit of luck was due, and there's no question the first goal had a large slice of good fortune. At the moment, though, Lady Luck is favoring Villa.

The Statistics Of an Implausible Run

Nine of these eleven straight wins have been by a solitary goal. They have managed a clean sheet in just one of those matches. Their expected goals (xG) have been better in only six of those fixtures, and in two of those, the margin was minimal. Their last five road Premier League victories have all come after conceding first. This pattern seems unsustainable, yet observers have been saying that for weeks, and Villa continue winning. The central question is whether their outcomes will finally match their displays or if their performances can rise to match the results.

This should not be sustainable, but everybody's been stating that for weeks and Villa keep on winning.

A Core Characteristic: Belief

Coming from behind is not merely a feature of the current campaign. Over the past three seasons, no side has gained more points from losing positions than Villa's 54; Eighteen of those have been secured this term, 50% 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 insurmountable. This is, to an extent, self-perpetuating: the more they come from behind, the more they believe they can do it again.
• Second, Emery has proven exceptionally adept at influencing games through his use of the bench.

A Masterful Change

While Chelsea had the better of the xG battle 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 limited service. Suddenly, the ball was held up better, and Watkins's runs in behind created issues. Amadou Onana and Sancho also came on, strengthening the midfield and providing the width they had lacked earlier.

Chelsea had ten attempts to Villa's none before the substitutions; afterwards, Villa had 11 chances to Chelsea's 4. By the end, Villa were in control and could easily have won by a greater margin. Once again, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca seemed unable to react as the game slipped away; the impression remains that he is more proficient at implementing a game plan with time to prepare than making adjustments in the moment.

Moment of Magic

Villa have also developed a happy habit of players producing moments of match-winning quality to turn games. Rogers has scored crucial goals at Leeds, West Ham, and against Manchester United. The image of him working the ball onto his favored foot and curling a finish home has become a recurring theme. It was the winger who transformed the game from the bench at Leeds. Watkins swung the game at Stamford Bridge. The contributions of players such as Ezri Konsa and Viktor Lindelof on Saturday were also vital. At present, it's seldom the whole side playing brilliantly, but sufficient players within it delivering to earn the victories.

The Road Ahead

Can they maintain this run? They now sit three points behind the league leaders, and as the season nears its halfway stage, they have to be viewed as in the championship conversation, arguably more so than teams like Chelsea or defending champions Liverpool. Tuesday's away fixture at Arsenal will be a major test of that status. Villa beat Arsenal earlier this month, a match in which they not only had better the xG but registered an xG forty percent higher than any other side has managed against Arsenal in the league this season.

The Gunners have assembled their own run of single-goal victories, winning three in a row without ever being entirely convincing. The upcoming clash will be a test for both sides – and if Villa secure a 12th game in a row, it would become increasingly difficult to dismiss their championship pedigree.