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It simply cannot go on. It makes no sense for it to persist. And yet, it does.

A Record-Chasing Triumph Against the Odds

Aston Villa entered Saturday's top-flight clash at Chelsea looking to equal a historic record of eleven consecutive wins, a feat last achieved in 1897 and 1914. For much of the match, achieving it seemed improbable, as Chelsea controlled proceedings, took the lead, and could have added to their advantage. However, Chelsea have shown vulnerability with a lead, especially at home, while Villa have cultivated a baffling knack of snatching wins on the road after falling behind.

First, Ollie Watkins leveled the scores, the ball cannoning in off his shin and the post after his first effort was saved by Robert Sánchez. Subsequently, he nodded in the winner with a deft header. These were just his fourth and fifth league goals of the season. The forward might believe a bit of luck was due, and there's no question the first goal involved a significant element of good fortune. At the moment, though, Lady Luck is favoring Villa.

The Statistics Of an Implausible Streak

The last nine of these 11 straight wins have been by a solitary goal. They have managed a clean sheet in just one of those games. Their underlying metrics have been better in just six of those encounters, and in two of those, the margin was 0.2 or less. Their last five road Premier League victories have all come after conceding first. This formula should not, but pundits have been saying that for some time, and Villa continue winning. The key question is whether their outcomes will finally match their displays or if their level of play can rise to justify the results.

This should not be possible, but everybody's been stating that for weeks and Villa keep on winning.

A Defining Trait: Belief

Coming from behind is not just a trait of the current campaign. Over the past 3 seasons, no side has won more points from losing positions than Villa's 54; 18 of those have been secured this season, 50% more than the next best team, Sunderland. This season, Villa substitutes have scored nine goals. Two key points can be made about Villa under their manager.

• First, they possess a deep-rooted self-belief that means no game ever feels beyond them. This is, in part, self-perpetuating: the more they come from behind, the more they are convinced they can do it once more.
• Second, Emery has proven very skilled at changing games through his substitutions.

A Masterful Change

While Chelsea won the expected goals 2.1-1.4, Villa were the dominant force from the moment, around the hour mark, when Emery made a triple change. Watkins came on for Donyell Malen, who had found it difficult with limited service. Suddenly, the ball began to stick, and Watkins's movement behind the defensive line caused problems. Amadou Onana and Jadon Sancho also entered, bolstering the center and providing the flank presence they had eschewed earlier.

Chelsea had ten attempts to Villa's zero before the changes; following them, Villa created 11 chances to Chelsea's four. By the final whistle, Villa were in control and could have won more comfortably. Once again, opposing manager Maresca struggled to respond as the game slipped away; the sense remains that he is more proficient at implementing a tactical plan with time to prepare than adapting on the fly.

Moment of Magic

Villa have cultivated a welcome habit of individuals producing moments of match-winning quality to alter games. Morgan Rogers has been decisive at Leeds, West Ham, and against Manchester United. The image of him working the ball onto his right foot and curling a finish home has become a recurring theme. It was Malen who changed the game from the bench at Leeds. Watkins swung the game at Stamford Bridge. The contributions of defenders like Konsa and Viktor Lindelof on Saturday were also vital. At present, it's seldom the entire team playing brilliantly, but enough individuals within it delivering to secure the victories.

The Road Ahead

Can they maintain this run? They now sit three points behind Arsenal, and as the season approaches its midway point, they must be viewed as in the championship conversation, arguably more so than club world champions Chelsea or defending champions Liverpool. Tuesday's away fixture at Arsenal will be a significant test of that claim. Villa beat Arsenal on the first weekend of December, a match in which they not only had better the xG but registered an xG forty percent higher than any other side has managed against Arsenal in the league this term.

The Gunners have assembled their own sequence of narrow victories, winning three in a row without ever being entirely convincing. Tuesday will be a test for both teams – and if Villa win a twelfth game in a row, it would become almost impossible to deny their championship pedigree.