4 days ago
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Record breakers?
©IMAGO
Aston Villa continued their incredible run of form in the Premier League with an impressive 2-1 win over Manchester United on Sunday. Despite a spirited performance from the Old Trafford club, Unai Emery’s side claimed all three points thanks to a wonderful brace from star No.10 Morgan Rogers. The win not only cemented the Birmingham club’s spot in third place for Christmas Day, opening up a seven-point gap between them and fourth-placed Chelsea, but it also means that Villa haven’t dropped points in any games across all competitions since their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool on November 1.
That, unsurprisingly, has seen Villa shoot up the table from eleventh to fourth in little more than one month of football, but also means that Villa have gone 10 games without conceding a single point. According to some reports, that run of victories is the first time Villa have managed such a feat in the club’s 111-year history. And, perhaps just as impressively, it puts Emery’s in-form side among some of the very best teams to grace English football since the turn of the century when we compare it to the best winning runs by English clubs since 2000.
Indeed, Villa are the eighth club to win 10 games in a row in all competitions - which includes the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and all European tournaments - with the most recent of which being Arsenal, who achieved the feat earlier this year and only saw it end when they dropped points in early November. As we can see in the table above, there are five clubs that have managed 11 games without dropping points, with a further four sides sitting on 12 games of consecutive wins. But, beyond doubt, the one team that stands above all others are Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side from late 2020, who went on an incredible run of 21 games with logging a single draw or defeat.
While it seems unlikely that Emery’s side will be able to usurp Man City’s record, the history books show that they are just three games away from claiming second place on this illustrious list. However, with away trips to Chelsea and Arsenal in the next few weeks, followed by clashes against in-form Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace, Villa will have to be at their very best to continue this incredible run of victories. But, if they can beat Chelsea and Arsenal during the festive period, most wouldn’t bet against them to overcome Forest at Villa Park and move into second place in the list of longest running winning streaks for English clubs in the 21st century.
