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Aston Villa’s latest victory highlighted manager Unai Emery’s remarkable record of turning around games, which has put his side firmly in the Premier League title race.
After Saturday’s 2-1 victory at Chelsea – their 12th in 13 league matches – Villa have won 18 points from losing positions so far this season, more than any other team.
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And it’s not just this year that the Spaniard has affected matches with his decision-making. Over the past three seasons, Villa have won more points from matches in which they lost than any other Premier League team, according to data firm Opta.
In the 58th minute on Saturday, with Chelsea leading 1-0 and looking in control, Emery gambled on a triple substitution, bringing in Ollie Watkins and more attacking firepower in the form of winger Jadon Sancho, as well as midfielder Amadou Onana.
Five minutes later, Watkins pounced on a Morgan Rogers through ball to beat Robert Sanchez in the Chelsea goal.
Buoyed by their equalizer and change of personnel, Villa looked transformed from the side that was pinned down by their hosts for most of the first hour.
In the 84th minute, Watkins – hoping for a place in England’s World Cup squad next summer – met a Youri Tielemans corner with an angled header that gave Sanchez no chance.
“He’s a tactical genius,” Watkins said when asked by Sky Sports about Emery’s ability to change the momentum of matches.
The coach himself tried to sound a little less effusive. “It’s something, of course, that makes us proud of everything we do,” Emery said when asked about Villa’s ability to turn losing situations into victories.
He sought to play down his side’s chances of winning the title, despite their blistering form.
“I don’t feel it,” Emery said. “I think we are competing very well, and we are now third in the league with two teams, Manchester City and Arsenal, wow.”
But with the season only halfway through, Villa, who struggled mightily at the start of the campaign, need to show more consistency, he said.
Villa face league leaders Arsenal in London on Tuesday.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has faced questions over the far less impressive statistics of his young side, who have dropped 11 points after winning in Premier League home matches this season, four more than any other team.
“We have to understand why when we concede a goal we have a little difficulty managing the game,” the Italian told reporters.
He must have regretted Chelsea’s failure to build a bigger lead before Villa’s fightback.
“The moment they scored the goal, I think we should have scored two or three goals,” Maresca said.
Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool remain in good shape
Manchester City mounted the challenge for the second weekend in a row, and Arsenal were fearless as they kicked off their festive fixtures with a narrow 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion to remain Premier League leaders on Saturday.
City won 2-1 at Nottingham Forest, with Rayan Cherki scoring a goal and an assist to briefly go top of the table.
But Arsenal, just as they did last week in beating Everton after City’s earlier victory over West Ham United, were unshakeable when captain Martin Odegaard scored his first goal of the season for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Arsenal also needed an own goal and a spectacular save from goalkeeper David Raya to maintain their lead, heading into the midway point of the Premier League season.
The London side have 42 points from 18 games, while City have 40.
When Odegaard scored the opener in the 14th minute for the Gunners and Georginio Rutter’s own goal from a Declan Rice corner made it 2-0 shortly after the break, it should have been a routine three-pointer for the hosts.
But Diego Gomez’s response for Brighton changed the complexion of the competition, and there was relief at the final whistle as Arsenal cleared another hurdle in the title race.
“The ripple effect of winning is incredibly powerful,” Arteta said of a victory that should have been easier.
“It should never be 2-1, but it’s the Premier League. What I like is we have a lot of problems. [but] we cope with it in an incredible way. Yesterday we lost Jurrien [Timber]; today we lost [Riccardo] Calafiori warming up; Declan [Rice] has to play as a full-back, and you see the performance he put in. So that’s the spirit and that’s how much our players want it.
Florian Wirtz scored his first Liverpool goal as they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 on an emotional afternoon at Anfield, when both sets of fans remembered the late Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash in July.
Wirtz doubled Liverpool’s lead shortly after Ryan Gravenberch put them in front, although Wolves rallied in the second half and Santiago Bueno pulled a goal back.
Reigning champions Liverpool moved into fourth with 32 points, while bottom club Wolves’ misery continues.
They have now broken the Premier League record for a winless start to a season and have two points from 18 games, and are 16 points adrift of fourth from bottom Nottingham Forest.
