Can Aston Villa maintain a title challenge?
Could 2026 be Aston Villa's year?
A nine-match winning streak in every match - approaching the club record of 11 established in 1897 - have launched Unai Emery's side as genuine contenders.
This impressive streak has come after Villa failed to win any of their first five Premier League matches and had the longest run without a goal of.
They welcome Manchester United on Sunday before visiting Chelsea and taking on leaders Arsenal to conclude 2026 - three games which could determine their place in the championship battle.
Villa have not claimed a top honour since securing the League Cup in 1996 but, sitting third in both the Premier League and Europa League, their trophy famine could finally end in remarkable fashion.
Villa stay close to the leading duo thanks to a Rogers double.
Avoiding the Spotlight
Unai Emery refuses to yield to any public calls to declare Villa are challenging for the title.
However, the statistics paint a clear picture, as their single top-flight defeat since August came against Liverpool in October, and since then Villa have strung together six top-flight games.
Last Sunday's dramatic 3-2 recovery over West Ham perfectly illustrated the character of his side and the positive energy they now have.
"We are not feeling the pressure, we are feeling ambitious and we try to challenge in Europe and in the Premier League," Emery said. "Enjoy each match, try to prepare then rest. The players must feel comfortable doing it."
Emery has been careful to steer clear of any extra attention on his Villa players. After all, they are garnering sufficient notice through their excellent results.
Transformation from Struggles to Success
That excellent form is in complete contrast to a beginning of the campaign in which they were unable to win after their six opening games, which included 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 evaluate their alarming start and plan how to get back on track. There was a acknowledgement there had been a lingering effect from failing to qualify for the Champions League.
Unai Emery has been managing Aston Villa since November 2022.
Villa ended the season in sixth last season and failed to reach the top five on goal difference after a contentious loss by Manchester United on the final day.
After that stalemate at the Stadium of Light they have secured 15 victories in 17 matches, including beating Manchester City 1-0 and this month's nail-biting 2-1 triumph over Arsenal.
There has also been evolution rather than revolution under Emery, as seven first-teamers who played in the head coach's first match - a 3-1 victory against United in November 2022 - are still crucial now.
Building on Experience
"The last year is an example and it's an experience for us. Sometimes we were playing excellently, we were reaching our goals, but maybe if we were raising our standards, maybe even we could go further," Emery stated.
He added, "This is the third season I am here, I am incredibly driven, but [also] expecting more than when I started. My objective has plenty of areas to enhance."
Ending the Long Wait
The most recent occasion Villa won a major trophy - beating Leeds 3-0 in the League Cup - feels like a different era.
It has been a protracted drought since, with Villa losing two FA Cup finals and two League Cup finals over the years.
Emery, a Europa League winner with Sevilla and Villarreal, declared on his first day in charge that the primary objective was to secure silverware. Last season's FA Cup semi-final defeat still stings.
A Europa Conference League semi-final defeat 18 months ago and a thrilling Champions League quarter-final exit last April show they are getting closer.
"Every time we go into a major match now, we have that drive in the back of our heads to show this team we have developed over the past five or six years is worth more than a quarter-final, worth more than a semi-final," captain John McGinn told reporters. "The determination, I can feel it this year."
The critical period begins now, with Villa poised to discover if they are fated to become champions or merely influential players in the race for the crown.
