Will Aston Villa be able to sustain a championship push?
Could 2026 be Aston Villa's year?
Nine straight wins in every tournament - approaching the club record of 11 established in 1897 - have launched Unai Emery's side into title contention.
This impressive streak has come following Villa failed to win any of their opening five Premier League matches and went longer than.
They host Manchester United on Sunday before playing away at Chelsea and playing leaders Arsenal to end the calendar year - three games which could define their potential to be spoilers or champions.
Villa have not claimed a top honour since winning the League Cup in 1996 but, currently placed third in both the Premier League and Europa League, their drought could come to an end in spectacular style.
Villa stay close to the first and second place due to a brace from Rogers.
The Manager's Measured Stance
Unai Emery refuses to yield to any external demands to proclaim Villa are fighting for the championship.
However, the stats tell a story, as their single top-flight defeat since August came against Liverpool in October, and since then Villa have won six straight top-flight games.
Last Sunday's 3-2 comeback win over West Ham epitomised the resilience of his side and the positive energy they now have.
"We are not feeling the pressure, we are driven by ambition and we try to be competitive 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 careful to prevent placing any extra attention on his Villa players. After all, they are earning enough attention through their remarkable performances.
Transformation from Struggles to Success
That current form is in complete contrast to a beginning of the campaign in which they were unable to win after their first six matches, including a Carabao Cup loss to Brentford, and did not even score in the league until a 1-1 draw at Sunderland on 21 September.
The squad conducted a discussion to review their alarming start and discuss 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 following a contentious loss by Manchester United on the final day.
From that point 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 dramatic 2-1 win over Arsenal.
There has also been gradual change, not upheaval under Emery, as seven Villa players who played in the head coach's first match - a 3-1 victory against United in November 2022 - continue to be important now.
Building on Experience
"The last year is an example and it's an experience for us. Sometimes we were performing well, we were meeting our targets, but maybe if we were aiming higher, maybe even we could go further," Emery stated.
He added, "This is the third year I am here, I am really very motivated, but [also] expecting more than when I arrived here. My objective has plenty of areas to improve."
Ending the Long Wait
The last time Villa lifted top-level silverware - beating Leeds 3-0 in the League Cup - feels like a bygone age.
It has been a protracted drought since, with Villa losing two FA Cup finals and two League Cup finals in the interim.
Emery, a UEFA Europa League champion with Sevilla and Villarreal, stated on his appointment that the primary objective was to win a trophy. Last season's FA Cup semi-final defeat remains painful.
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 huge fixture now, we have that determination in the back of our heads to demonstrate this team we have constructed over the past five or six years is capable of more than a quarter-final, worth more than a semi-final," captain John McGinn told reporters. "The determination, I can sense it this year."
The critical period begins now, with Villa poised to discover if they are ready to be kings or merely influential players in the race for the crown.
