Individual brilliance, belief and a touch of luck drive Villa's run

A club-record-equalling 11 straight wins have lifted Unai Emery’s men into the title race before tonight's clash

- Jonathan Wilson

It can’t go on. It makes no sense that it goes on. And yet it goes on. Aston Villa went into Saturday’s Premier League game at Chelsea having won 10 games in a row, looking to match a record set in 1897 and 1914. For an hour there seemed no chance they would achieve it as Chelsea outplayed them, took the lead and could have had several more goals. But Chelsea are vulnerable with a lead, especially at home, and Villa have developed a baffling habit of winning away having gone behind.

First Ollie Watkins equalised, the ball cannoning in off his shin and the post after his initial effort was blocked by Robert Sanchez. Then he got the winner with a deft header, just his fifth league goal this season.

Watkins perhaps would feel he is due some luck, but there is no doubting the first goal was fortunate. At the moment, though, luck is favouring Villa. The last nine of those 11 successive wins have been by a single goal. They have kept a clean sheet in only one of them. They have had the better expected goals in only six of those games and in two of those their xG was better by 0.2 or less. Their last five away Premier League games have been won after going behind.