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Phillip Zulu in Leeds, England

ASTON Villa’s new found glory and streak of confidence in winning three games out of their last four encounters in the English Premiership football, sums up the high regard they have for their new manager Steven Gerrard.

They have turned despair of fighting relegation battles every season into hope of staying in the English Premiership.

Suddenly, our own Zimbabwean midfielder Marvelous Nakamba is hogging the limelight after some splendid performances in the last four games that he has played under Gerrard.

He has started in all four games under the new era brought by Gerrard and Villa have won three of the assignments, only losing once to reigning champions Manchester City.

Nakamba once again produced an eye-catching performance when Aston Villa beat former English Premiership champions Leicester City 2-1 at Villa Park on Sunday.

Harvey Barnes opened the scoring for Leicester in the 13th minute with a fine strike in the Midlands derby. Villa, who had Nakamba bossing the midfield, were the better side and hit back with Ezri Konsa’s double in the 16th and 54th minute turning it around.

The respected Birmingham Mail gave Nakamba a rating of 8 out of 10 with their senior football writer John Townley saluting the tireless Zimbabwean midfielder for his outstanding performance in the middle of the park.

Townley wrote in the Birmingham Mail after Sunday’s match: “Marvelous Nakamba: Would have continued to catch Gerrard’s eye after another impressive display at the heart of Villa’s midfield this afternoon. His energy and combative approach is so important in Gerrard’s system. Another commendable effort from Marvelous. Rating: 8.’’

The respected Daily Mail gave Nakamba a rating of 7.5 out of 10.

Rewind six games back and one has to understand the gloom and doom feeling encroaching the Villa fans as fears of dicing with relegation battles cloud-seeded their Villa Park home ground.

Dean Smith had run his full course and, it wasn’t a huge surprise when the Villa board relieved him of duties and hired Liverpool legend Gerrard to stabilise the ship before the storms of the harsh Premiership football tormented them.

Just in time, in came Gerrard and so did Nakamba ticked and tickled pink, with the new manager’s belief in his importance to anchor in their defensive midfield cabin which had been a problem child for so long.

I have always believed that steadying Villa’s midfield anchor was their key to stability and progress, Gerrard has brought that touch and grit of his playing attributes when he was the darling of Merseyside.

The stats speak loudest of Nakamba’s positivity in recent performances that have helped to catapult Villa’s march away from the dreaded drop zone of relegation battles.

The January window offers them a good opportunity to bring in at least two additions in wide areas of the attacking or a more creative offensive midfielder who can complement their striker (Danny Ings/ Olie Watkins), David Luiz/John McGinn and Nakamba.

This resurgence of Villa’s lost pride is most welcome, especially after beating a Leicester City team that has been on ascension for the last five years.

Touch wood, I hope that Nakamba stays much fitter throughout this season and gliding on this good run of performances and results, a full transformation of top midfield anchor is beckoning on the horizon.

There’s still some work to be done in his overall expectations of starting play in deep areas of his defensive third, and also when he is meant to shift play into the central midfield areas of the game when congestion is rife.

Everything comes with time in this top league and Nakamba is still expected to raise his urgency when he breaks up play to help increase the speed of play on transition or counter-attack, this is how top-flight midfielders like N’Golo Kante of Chelsea perform.

Nakamba has come a long way in his quest to establish himself in this top league and judging by his recent performances, one has to start hoping that the change of a manager could have done the trick.

Nakamba is a new man altogether, brimming with confidence and this can only help the 27-year-old Zimbabwean return to the top of his game. The purple patch that he is enjoying is also a plus for his nation Zimbabwe, ahead of next month’s AFCON finals in Cameroon.