VILLA 'CONFIDENT IN EACH OTHER'

But pundit Rooney fancies Arsenal and Man City more in tight EPL title race

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From left: Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Amadou Onana and Victor Lindelof celebrating during Aston Villa's 2-1 EPL win over Manchester United on Dec 21. PHOTO: EPA

(EPA)

Aston Villa are heading into the festive period like a runaway sleigh with 10 successive victories in all competitions and with the English Premier League's top spot in their sights.

The club's 2-1 win over Manchester United on Dec 21, their seventh in a row in the league, left them three points behind leaders Arsenal (39) and one behind Manchester City.

They have bagged 33 points out of the last 36 available and have a manager who knows how to deliver silverware in Unai Emery.

Yet, according to the Premier League's data analysts Opta, Villa have only a 5.3 per cent chance of winning the English title for the first time since 1981, with Arsenal on 68.7 per cent and City on 24.7 per cent.

"They're just not as good as Arsenal and Man City. They're doing excellent, but I just don't feel they're going to be in the title race," former United forward and Sky Sports pundit Wayne Rooney said.