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It simply cannot continue. It makes no sense for it to persist. Yet, persist it does.

A Historic Victory Defying Expectations

The Claret and Blue army arrived at Saturday's Premier League encounter at Chelsea aiming for a historic record of eleven consecutive wins, matching runs set in 1897 and 1914. For much of the match, this feat seemed highly unlikely, as Chelsea controlled proceedings, secured the lead, and could have added several more. However, Chelsea have shown frailty when ahead, particularly at home, while Villa now possess a baffling habit of snatching wins on the road after falling behind.

First, Ollie Watkins equalised, the ball ricocheting in off his shin and the post after his initial shot was saved by the goalkeeper. Later on, he nodded in the winner with a deft header. This marked just his fourth and fifth league goals of the campaign. The forward might feel a bit of luck was overdue, and it's undeniable the equalizing goal involved a large slice of good fortune. Currently, however, Lady Luck seems to be smiling on Villa.

The Statistics Behind an Implausible Streak

The last nine of these 11 straight wins have been by a solitary goal. They have kept a shutout in just one of those games. Their expected goals (xG) have been superior in just six of those fixtures, and in a couple 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 claiming that for some time, and Villa keep on winning. The key question is whether their outcomes will finally align with their performances or if their level of play can rise to match the points haul.

This should not be sustainable, but everybody's been saying that for a while and Villa keep on winning.

A Defining Trait: Resilience

Fighting back is not merely a feature of this season. Over the past three seasons, no team has gained more points from losing positions than Villa's 54; 18 of those were secured this season, fifty percent more than the next best team, Sunderland. This season, Villa substitutes have contributed 9 goals. Two important observations can be made about Villa under Unai Emery.

• Firstly, they possess a deep-rooted confidence that means no game ever feels beyond them. This is, in part, a virtuous cycle: the more they achieve comebacks, the more they are convinced they can do it once more.
• Secondly, Emery has proven very skilled at influencing games through his substitutions.

The Emery Effect

While Chelsea had the better of the xG battle 2.1-1.4, Villa became dominant from the moment, around the hour mark, when Emery made a triple substitution. Ollie Watkins came on for Malen, who had found it difficult with limited service. Immediately, the ball began to stick, and Watkins's movement behind the defensive line caused problems. Amadou Onana and Jadon Sancho also came on, bolstering the midfield and adding the width they had eschewed earlier.

The Blues registered 10 shots to Villa's zero before the changes; following them, Villa created 11 chances to Chelsea's 4. By the end, Villa were in control and could easily have won more comfortably. Once again, Chelsea boss Maresca seemed unable to respond as the game slipped away; the impression remains that he is better at implementing a tactical plan with time to prepare than adapting on the fly.

Individual Brilliance

Villa have also developed a happy habit of players producing moments of match-winning quality to turn games. Rogers has been decisive at Leeds, West Ham, and against Manchester United. The sight of him working the ball onto his right foot and curling a finish home has become a seasonal leitmotif. It was Malen 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. Right now, it's not always the whole side playing flawlessly, but sufficient players within it delivering to secure the victories.

The Road Ahead

Will they be able to maintain this run? They now sit three points behind Arsenal, and as the season nears its midway point, they must be considered as in the title race, arguably more so than teams like Chelsea or defending champions Liverpool. Tuesday's away game at Arsenal will be a major examination of that claim. Villa beat Arsenal earlier this month, a match in which they not only won the xG but registered an xG 40% higher than any other side has achieved against Arsenal in the league this season.

Arsenal have since put together their own run of single-goal victories, winning three in a row without ever being wholly convincing. Tuesday will be a challenge for both teams – and if Villa win a 12th game in a row, it would become almost impossible to dismiss their championship pedigree.