The win extended their sequence to eight consecutive league wins.

Unai Emery's side have now won 17 of their last 19 Premier League matches, taking an extraordinary 36 points from the last 39 available to cement their status as one of the division's form teams.

Watkins played a decisive role against Chelsea despite starting on the bench. Introduced just before the hour mark, the forward struck twice to turn the contest in Villa's favour, underlining the depth and momentum within the squad.

The result also marked eight straight top-flight victories, Villa's best league winning run since 1910.

"I didn't have a clue about that," Watkins said about equalling the 111-year record. "But it doesn't surprise me with this manager. Every record he breaks, or we break, I am not surprised because it is down to him.

"There is confidence from the manager as he believes in us which is the most important thing. At the start of the season it was very difficult.

"We were losing a lot of games and things were not going our way. Now I think he really believes in us and I think he is excited for the next game.

"I just think it is the manager really. He works so hard and he is so focused. It is resilience, really.

"He sees stuff in the game and changes things at half-time. Chelsea were very good in the first half but at the break he was so calm.

"In games where you think he is going to shout at us and get on to us, he is the opposite. In games where we think we have done well he ends up getting on to you and demands more. It is down to him."

Across all competitions, the Midlands club are now on an 11-match winning streak, a sequence that equals the longest in the club's history, previously achieved in September 1897 and again in March 1914.

Attention now turns to Tuesday night's clash with Arsenal. The league leaders visit Villa Park knowing that defeat would allow Emery's side to draw level on points at the top of the table.

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