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This surely should not continue. It makes no rational sense for it to persist. Yet, persist it does.

A Record-Chasing Triumph Defying Expectations

The Claret and Blue army arrived at the weekend's Premier League 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 dominated proceedings, secured the lead, and might have added several more. But, Chelsea are frailty with a lead, especially at home, while Villa now possess a baffling knack of snatching wins on the road from losing positions.

First, the striker equalised, the ball ricocheting in off his shin and the post after his initial shot was blocked by Robert Sánchez. Later on, he secured the winner with a precise header. This marked just his fourth and fifth league goals of the campaign. Watkins might feel some fortune was overdue, and it's undeniable the equalizing goal involved a significant element of luck. At the moment, however, Lady Luck is favoring Villa.

The Numbers Behind an Unlikely Streak

Nine of these eleven straight wins have been by a solitary goal. They have kept a clean sheet in just one of those matches. Their underlying metrics have been better in just six of those fixtures, and in a couple of those, the advantage was 0.2 or less. Their last five away Premier League victories have all come after conceding first. This formula should not, yet pundits have been saying that for weeks, and Villa keep on winning. The key question is whether their outcomes will finally match their displays or if their performances can rise to match the points haul.

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

A Defining Trait: Resilience

Fighting back is not just a feature of this season. Over the past 3 seasons, no side has won more points from losing positions than Villa's fifty-four; Eighteen of those have been secured this term, fifty percent more than the next best team, Sunderland. This season, Villa players from the bench have contributed nine 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 insurmountable. This is, to an extent, self-perpetuating: the more they come from behind, the more they are convinced they can do it once more.
• Secondly, Emery has proven exceptionally skilled at changing games through his use of the bench.

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 executed a triple change. Ollie Watkins came on for Donyell Malen, who had found it difficult with few chances. Immediately, the ball was held up better, and Watkins's movement behind the defensive line caused problems. Amadou Onana and Sancho also entered, strengthening the midfield and adding the width they had lacked earlier.

Chelsea had 10 shots to Villa's none before the substitutions; afterwards, Villa created eleven opportunities to Chelsea's 4. By the end, Villa were commanding and could have won by a greater margin. Not for the first time, opposing manager Enzo Maresca seemed unable to respond as the game turned against him; the impression remains that he is better at implementing a game plan with preparation time than adapting on the fly.

Individual Brilliance

Villa have also developed a welcome habit of individuals producing moments of sensational quality to turn games. Morgan 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 into the top corner has become a recurring leitmotif. It was Malen who transformed the game from the bench at Leeds. The striker changed the game at Stamford Bridge. The contributions of defenders like Ezri Konsa and Viktor Lindelof on Saturday were key. At present, it's not always the whole side playing flawlessly, but enough players within it delivering to earn the victories.

What Comes Next?

Can they maintain this run? They now sit three points behind Arsenal, and as the season approaches its halfway stage, they must be viewed as in the title race, arguably more so than club world champions Chelsea or defending champions Liverpool. Tuesday's away game at Arsenal will be a major test of that claim. Villa beat Arsenal earlier this month, a match in which they not only won the xG but posted an xG 40% higher than any other side has achieved against Arsenal in the league this term.

The Gunners have since put together their own sequence of narrow victories, winning 3 in a row without ever being entirely convincing. Tuesday will be a challenge for both sides – and if Villa win a 12th game in a row, it would become increasingly difficult to deny their title credentials.