Aston Villa are just two points off the Premier League summit after their victory over Arsenal on Saturday.
Not only did Villa boss Unai Emery get one over his former club but the 1-0 triumph saw his side extend their winning league run at home to 15 games.
Emery and his players are not entertaining talk of a surprise title run but here we look at how they are fighting at the top of the table and the latest Aston Villa betting odds.
What impact has Emery had?
When Emery was chosen to replace Steven Gerrard in the Villa Park hotseat last November, the club were among the sides that could have been dragged into a relegation battle.
The Spaniard, however, turned things around and Villa finished the season in seventh, qualifying for the Europa Conference League.
This season, things have improved even more, and since Emery’s arrival he has overseen 26 wins from his 41 Premier League games in charge.
Who has shone under Emery?
Any team wanting to compete towards the top of the table is likely to need a prolific goalscorer – and Villa can call on Ollie Watkins as the man to consistently find the back of the net.
Emery can again lay claim to helping the England striker improve his output and the 27-year-old has hit eight Premier League goals this season, while also laying on six assists.
Watkins has also seemingly taken the spot as back-up to Harry Kane in the England squad and he will be keen to continue his club form in the hopes of heading to Euro 2024 next summer.
Anyone else?
Several players inherited by Emery have improved under the Spaniard – the likes of Ezri Konsa, John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and the aforementioned Watkins, for example.
Villa also added Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans and Moussa Diaby in the summer with the trio playing their part in helping Emery’s side make improvements.
Emery can also call on World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez, who was also crowned the world’s best goalkeeper at the Ballon d’Or ceremony last month.
Hitting a home run
Villa have won all 15 of their Premier League home games since losing 4-2 to Arsenal in February.
It is a club-record run that has turned them into, at this stage of the season, bona fide title contenders.
In the space of four days, Villa beat reigning champions Manchester City and last season’s runners-up Arsenal to show they can mix it with the best the league has to offer.
What are their festive fixtures like?
Villa have a great chance to further extend their winning home run as relegation-threatened pair Sheffield United and Burnley are next up at Villa Park and victory over the Blades is just 2/9.
They are 21/20 for another win as they make the trip to Brentford on Sunday which follows the final game of their Europa Conference League group, where they travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina to take on Zrinjski Mostar knowing a point is enough to progress as group winners.
They then face a Boxing Day trip to Manchester United but, with Old Trafford no longer the fortress it once was, Villa will fancy their chances.
What are the latest Aston Villa betting odds?
Villa are no longer just big outsiders in the Premier League outright winner odds, with their price being slashed from 50/1 to 14/1 in the space of a week due to their victories over Arsenal and City.
While some will question whether they can sustain that challenge over the full season, they are now a much shorter price than the likes of Tottenham, Newcastle, Manchester United and Chelsea.
A top-four finish would have been unthinkable at the start of the season but is now a realistic ambition at 11/10 while Aston Villa betting odds of 1/5 for a top-six finish suggests they can at least secure a second successive season of European football.
Join bwin today and receive up to £20 money back as a FreeBet if your first wager (3+ selections at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater) is a loser! Terms and conditions apply.
