Rulers or Power Brokers? Villa Approaching Crucial Stretch
Will Aston Villa be able to keep up a title challenge?
Might this season be Aston Villa's year?
A nine-match winning streak in every match - nearing the record of 11 achieved back in 1897 - have propelled Unai Emery's side into title contention.
This impressive streak has come following Villa did not win any of their initial five Premier League matches and had the longest run without a goal of.
They host Manchester United on Sunday before travelling to Chelsea and taking on leaders Arsenal to conclude 2026 - three games which could determine their potential to be spoilers or champions.
Villa have not lifted significant silverware since lifting the League Cup in 1996 but, sitting third in both the Premier League and Europa League, their trophy famine could come to an end in remarkable fashion.
Villa maintain the pressure on the leading duo due to a two goals from Rogers.
The Manager's Measured Stance
Unai Emery refuses to yield to any outside pressure to proclaim Villa are fighting for the championship.
However, the stats tell a story, as their sole league loss since August came against Liverpool in October, and after that Villa have won six straight top-flight games.
Last Sunday's dramatic 3-2 recovery over West Ham epitomised the resilience of his side and the positive energy they now possess.
"We are not experiencing pressure, we are filled with ambition and we try to compete in Europe and in the Premier League," Emery said. "Enjoy each match, try to prepare then rest. The players must remain confident doing it."
Emery has been cautious to prevent placing any additional spotlight on his Villa players. After all, they are earning enough attention through their stunning form.
From Slow Start to Spectacular Surge
That current form is in complete contrast to a start of the season in which they were winless after their first six matches, including a Carabao Cup loss to Brentford, and did not even register a league goal until a 1-1 draw at Sunderland on 21 September.
The squad conducted a discussion to review their poor opening and plan how to regain their form. There was a understanding there had been a carry-over from falling short of the Champions League.
Unai Emery has been managing Aston Villa since November 2022.
Villa ended the season in sixth last season and missed out on the top five on goal difference after a controversial defeat by Manchester United on the final day.
Since the draw at the Stadium of Light they have triumphed in 15 out of 17 fixtures, which includes beating Manchester City 1-0 and this month's nail-biting 2-1 triumph over Arsenal.
There has also been evolution rather than revolution under Emery, as seven members of the squad who played in the head coach's first match - a 3-1 victory against United in November 2022 - remain key now.
Learning from Past Campaigns
"The last year is an blueprint and it's an experience for us. Sometimes we were performing well, we were achieving our objective, but maybe if we were raising our standards, maybe even we could get something more," Emery stated.
He added, "This is the third season I am here, I am incredibly driven, but [also] holding higher standards than when I arrived here. My objective has plenty of areas to improve."
The Quest for Silverware
The most recent occasion Villa lifted top-level silverware - beating Leeds 3-0 in the League Cup - feels like a lifetime ago.
It has been a long wait since, with Villa losing two FA Cup finals and two League Cup finals over the years.
Emery, a Europa League winner with Sevilla and Villarreal, declared on his appointment that the main goal was to win a trophy. Last season's FA Cup semi-final defeat still stings.
A Europa Conference League semi-final defeat 18 months ago and a thrilling Champions League quarter-final exit last April indicate they are moving in the right direction.
"Every time we go into a big game now, we have that drive in the back of our heads to prove this team we have built over the past five or six years is worth more than a quarter-final, worth more than a semi-final," captain John McGinn told reporters. "The determination, I can see it this year."
The critical period begins now, with Villa poised to discover if they are destined to be kings or merely influential players in the title race.
