Fabian Delph's Rise from Transfer Flop to Aston Villa Hero

Aston Villa's 1-0 triumph over Chelsea on Saturday rocked the Premier League title race and will go down as one of Villa's most thrilling and significant victories of recent years.

While Jose Mourinho and referee Chris Foy have won over many of the headlines, the true star of the show was the man that has been at the heart of most of Villa's best play this season: midfielder Fabian Delph.

Lambert raved about Delph's quality after the match, praising the midfielder in an interview with the Birmingham Mail's Mat Kendrick.

"

[Delph]'s been excellent over the course of the 18 months I’ve been here. What sort of player can he develop into? You’ve seen what he’s got, there’s massive potential there to be a really top player and if he keeps his feet on the ground, keeps learning, keeps doing what he’s doing then we’ll see where he goes.

"

It has taken the Englishman five seasons to come into his own, but Delph has been Villa's most consistent player this season and he is showing why he was so highly touted when he arrived at Villa Park from Leeds as a teenager.

Delph struggled to adapt to life in Birmingham during his first three seasons at Villa. Under a different manager each year, injury and inexperience conspired to keep Delph from becoming a first-team regular.

Chris Brunskill/Getty Images

Paul Lambert's arrival changed everything.

Last season, Lambert's first at the club, Delph consistently played for the first time in his Villa career and showed signs of steady improvement. The midfielder has taken his game to another level this season and the victory over Chelsea demonstrated many of Delph's best attributes and improvements.

Delph's most useful quality, particularly as it relates to his place in the current Villa team, is his strong dribbling and endeavor to surge forward and run at the defence.

Using his pace, quick feet and ball control, Delph's runs from midfield create space for his teammates, cause problems for defenders and have directly led to two of Delph's three goals this season.

His abilities complement those of his fellow midfielders well and make Delph an attacking threat from midfield. This is especially useful in Villa's current offensive system that is heavily reliant on countering swiftly on the break.

In addition, Delph is an eager tackler and has improved defensively. He has retained his aggression while improving the consistency of his challenges. This has allowed him to suddenly win Villa possession, leading to Delph's threatening runs and other counter-attacking opportunities for Villa.

Alongside his defending, Delph has also improved by now serving as a goal threat. Although he failed to score in his first four seasons at Villa Park, Delph had already notched a pair of spectacular, match-winning goals against Southampton and West Brom. His golazo on Saturday was a microcosm of his profile as a player.

Teammate Ashley Westwood's pressure allowed Delph to win possession at the halfway line, leaving right-back Branislav Ivanovic woefully out of position. He then used trademark skill to beat Nemanja Matic, draw the defence's attention and play in Marc Albrighton before finishing the move he started with a perfect backheel into the corner of the net. 

It was a wonderful goal from a superb team and individual performance. 

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Having already convinced the Villa faithful of his abilities, Delph's match-winning performance against Chelsea has thrust him into a broader spotlight and reignited conversations of his potential as an English international.

Unfortunately for Delph, the World Cup is just three months away. It is unlikely Roy Hodgson will take his chances with an uncapped player so soon before the tournament begins.

Nonetheless, England's listless performances of late may just prompt Hodgson to explore his options. His experimentation with players such as Ross Barkley, Adam Lallana and Andros Townsend indicates there may still be time for Delph to earn a place on the plane to Brazil. 

In the meantime all Delph can do is continue to show the consistency and quality he has as Villa's best player this season.