Unai Emery’s death machine, The fear of almost every Premier League club. Since Emery arrived, Aston Villa have hovered on the fringes, quietly building a reputation as the side that can upset the so-called Big Six showing what it truly means to be a chief disruptor in the Premier League.
But this season feels different.It didn’t start smoothly. In fact, the opening four games were hellish. Villa failed to score in their first four Premier League matches, and it looked like another false dawn. But football seasons are marathons, not sprints and slowly, things began to click.
The turning point came away at Fulham. A 3–1 win. Ollie Watkins, who had struggled early on, finally found the net. From that moment, it felt like Villa had banished the shadows of their old, flailing selves. Now the question is simple: can Villa keep this form going?
With Ten wins in a row, Ten straight victories at Villa Park and sitting Third in the league just three points off leaders Arsenal, Aston Villa are beginning to turn heads.
With Chelsea and Arsenal looming in the coming weeks, Villa are standing at a crossroads. Are they content with being disruptors, or are they ready to break the backs of the big dogs and push for the Premier League title? The next two games may define the season.
Chelsea away. Arsenal away. Both within three days tough fixtures against “Big Six” sides a label that is already being torn apart by Villa themselves. However, there’s a concern. Away from home, Emery’s side hasn’t always been flawless. Villa have fallen behind in each of their last five away Premier League games, relying on comebacks to win the last three. Chelsea and Arsenal may be far less forgiving if Villa start slowly again.
Right now, Aston Villa are firmly in the title conversation alongside Arsenal and Manchester City. The Villa Park faithful will be hoping the winning run continues, but Opta’s supercomputer paints a more cautious picture.
According to Opta data
- Arsenal – 82 points
- Manchester City – 77 points
- Aston Villa – 71 points
- Liverpool – 66 points
- Chelsea – 63 points
Villa are tipped to finish third, 11 points behind Arsenal. Still, that would mean a return to the Champions League alongside Arsenal, City, and Liverpool.
Opta gives Emery’s men a 5.54% chance of winning the title:
- Arsenal – 68.70%
- Manchester City – 24.35%
- Aston Villa – 5.54%
No player embodies Villa’s rise this season more than Morgan Rogers does. The England midfielder is Villa’s top scorer in the Premier League with seven goals, four of them coming in his last two matches.
In fact, Rogers is the first Villa player to score two or more goals in back-to-back Premier League games since Dion Dublin in November 1998. That’s history.
Now that Aston Villa are firmly in the conversation, the challenge is clear. Do the needful. Take down Chelsea. Then go to Arsenal to shackle the league leaders like they usually do.
If they can do that, Villa won’t just be disruptors anymore, they might just be the dark horse that wins the race.
