Villa win at Chelsea and Dave Woodhall is definitely feeling optimistic.
One game at a time. That’s the cliche of the day and it’s the only way to look at the rest of the season. For as long as I can remember Villa have usually found it easier to lose trophies than to win them and the very thought that we can begin the New Year with realistic hopes of the Premier League title is enough to bring on an attack of acrophobia*.
But for all the idea that we shouldn’t get excited, can’t keep winning by the odd goal, squad depth will soon begin to tell, just look at the visit to Stamford Bridge, particularly the final half-hour, then say it wasn’t a performance worthy of champions.
Villa’s record at Chelsea is inconsistent, to say the least. We either do well, or sometimes embarrassingly badly. Saturday’s performance was definitely in the former category. Donyell Malen 
started up front instead of Ollie Watkins, Harvey Elliott was once again nowhere in sight and Amadou Onana was on the bench.
It didn’t seem to be a match to remember as Villa started slowly and neither side had shown much before a Chelsea corner eight minutes before half-time got a slight touch and the home side probably deserved to be ahead at the break. But – and this is the difference between Villa and every other team in the league. Theree’s been a few times over the years when you know a forward is in such form that a goal will come sooner or later during the match and a similar feeling occurs now whenever Villa are struggling.
You know with absolute certainty that Unai will do something to turn it round. Having him in the dug-out is like having one of the world’s best strikers on the bench – you might not need him but if you do, he’ll deliver. Shortly before the hour mark Watkins, Onana and Jadon Sancho came on.All have had their critics this season but cometh the hour…
Within a couple of minutes a glorious sweeping movement out of defence had seen Boubacar Kamara go close; no sooner had the applause for that one died down than Morgan Rogers played in Watkins to equalise.
In an attempt to emulate Unai, Chelsea also made three rapid substitutions, but theirs were made by a mere mortal and therefore had little effect – if anything, they made Villa’s dominance even more obvious. Rogers laid on another chance for Ian Maatsen and then with six minutes remaining Watkins beat everyone in the air to power home a Youri Tielemans corner.
And there we had it – eleven successive wins for the first time since 1914 and Villa remain in touch with the two sides above while opening a handy ten point gap on the team in fifth place. That fourth Champions League spot is still the prime target but it doesn’t harm to look a bit higher, and dream. One game at a time.
*It means a fear of heights. Yes, I thought it was vertigo as well but apparently they’re two different things. You live and learn.
