This Remarkable Golden Spell Propels Aston Villa's Unlikely Championship Bid

A mere eight weeks prior that the young forward found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while his coach scolded him for not reading a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear whether his displays were an indicator or the reason for the team's more general malaise.

In the latest match, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. When the in-form star curled home his second strike to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery discarded his coat, spread his arms and bellowed. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win and after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, find themselves a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Challengers?

It remains an exceptionally difficult question to address. History, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, even as the wins have stacked up.

Per Opta, on just two occasions has the side posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the margins are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their star man to rescue them with a couple of precise efforts. This was the case at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again against United.

The initial strike came from a superb shot, arced right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all but one of those games.

A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent Villa will encounter in the near future. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot maintain blasting the ball into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists a different scenario where, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent could transform into the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like a vital Three Lions star.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. As the hero stood in front of the home supporters after the match conducting the cheers, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.