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Is this the year for Aston Villa's moment?

Nine straight wins in all competitions - nearing the team's historic mark of 11 established in 1897 - have propelled Unai Emery's side as genuine contenders.

This impressive streak has come following Villa failed to win any of their opening five Premier League matches and went longer than.

They host Manchester United on Sunday before playing away at Chelsea and facing leaders Arsenal to conclude 2026 - three games which could define their potential to be spoilers or champions.

Villa have not lifted significant silverware since winning the League Cup in 1996 but, sitting third in both the Premier League and Europa League, their drought could come to an end in remarkable fashion.

The Manager's Measured Stance

Unai Emery is not giving in to any public calls to declare Villa are in the title race.

However, the stats speak volumes, as their sole league loss since August came against Liverpool in October, and after that Villa have secured six consecutive top-flight games.

Last Sunday's come-from-behind 3-2 victory over West Ham exemplified the strength of his side and the momentum they now possess.

"We are not experiencing pressure, we are feeling ambitious and we try to compete in Europe and in the Premier League," Emery said. "Enjoy each match, try to prepare then rest. The players must be at ease doing it."

Emery has been deliberate to prevent placing any extra attention on his Villa players. After all, they are attracting plenty of plaudits through their remarkable performances.

Turning the Season Around

That current form is in complete contrast to a season's opening in which they were unable to win after their six opening games, 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 held a meeting to review their worrying beginning and plan how to return to form. There was a understanding there had been a carry-over from missing out on the Champions League.

Villa came sixth last season and missed out on the top five on goal difference following a debated loss by Manchester United on the final day.

After that stalemate at the Stadium of Light they have won 15 of their 17 games, including beating Manchester City 1-0 and this month's dramatic 2-1 win 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 - continue to be important now.

Aiming Higher

"The last year is an blueprint and it's an lesson for us. Sometimes we were doing a good job, we were achieving our objective, but maybe if we were getting our demands higher, maybe even we could get something more," Emery stated.

He added, "This is the third season I am here, I am incredibly driven, but [also] more demanding than when I started. My objective has many aspects to enhance."

A Trophy Drought

The last time Villa won a major trophy - beating Leeds 3-0 in the League Cup - feels like a bygone age.

It has been a long wait since, with Villa losing two FA Cup finals and two League Cup finals over the years.

Emery, a UEFA Europa League champion with Sevilla and Villarreal, declared on his appointment that the primary objective was to win a trophy. 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 determination in the back of our heads to demonstrate this team we have constructed over the past five or six years is capable of 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 pivotal stretch begins now, with Villa poised to discover if they are destined to be champions or merely kingmakers in the championship battle.