🔗 Share this article Contenders or Spoilers? Villa Facing Crucial Phase Video: Can Aston Villa keep up a championship push? Is this the year for Aston Villa's year? Nine straight wins in every match - nearing the record of 11 set in 1897 - have launched Unai Emery's side into the championship conversation. This impressive streak has come after Villa were unable to secure a victory in any of their initial five Premier League matches and went longer than. They face at home Manchester United on Sunday before playing away at Chelsea and facing leaders Arsenal to conclude 2026 - three games which could shape their role in the title race. Villa have not lifted significant silverware since winning the League Cup in 1996 but, currently placed third in both the Premier League and Europa League, their long wait could finally end in dramatic fashion. Media caption: Villa maintain the pressure on the first and second place due to a brace from Rogers. Emery's Cautious Approach Unai Emery refuses to yield to any public calls to announce Villa are challenging for the title. However, the stats speak volumes, as their only Premier League defeat since August came against Liverpool in October, and after that Villa have won six straight top-flight games. Last Sunday's come-from-behind 3-2 victory over West Ham perfectly illustrated the strength of his side and the positive energy they now possess. "We are not experiencing pressure, we are filled with ambition and we try to be competitive in Europe and in the Premier League," Emery said. "Enjoy each match, try to prepare then rest. The players must remain confident doing it." Emery has been cautious to prevent placing any unnecessary focus on his Villa players. After all, they are earning enough attention through their stunning form. From Slow Start to Spectacular Surge That excellent form is in complete contrast to a start of the season in which they were winless after their first six matches, including a Carabao Cup loss to Brentford, and did not even find the net in the Premier League until a 1-1 draw at Sunderland on 21 September. The squad gathered for talks to review their poor opening and talk about how to regain their form. There was a understanding there had been a lingering effect from failing to qualify for the Champions League. Image caption: Unai Emery has been in charge of Aston Villa since November 2022. Villa ended the season in sixth last season and missed out on the top five on goal difference after a contentious loss by Manchester United on the final day. Since the draw at the Stadium of Light they have triumphed in 15 out of 17 fixtures, 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 - remain key now. Aiming Higher "The last year is an model and it's an lesson for us. Sometimes we were performing well, we were achieving our objective, but maybe if we were getting our demands higher, maybe even we could go further," Emery stated. He added, "This is the third year I am here, I am really very motivated, but [also] expecting more than when I first came. My objective has many aspects to enhance." The Quest for Silverware The most recent occasion Villa won a major trophy - beating Leeds 3-0 in the League Cup - feels like a bygone age. It has been a protracted drought since, with Villa losing two FA Cup finals and two League Cup finals in the interim. Emery, a Europa League winner with Sevilla and Villarreal, made it clear on his appointment that the main goal was to lift a cup. 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 indicate they are moving in the right direction. "Every time we go into a huge fixture now, we have that drive in the back of our heads to show this team we have built 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 see it this year." The critical period begins now, with Villa poised to discover if they are fated to become kings or merely influential players in the title race.