Aston Villa signs manager Paul Lambert to contract extension through 2018

The Aston Villa brass has rewarded manager Paul Lambert for his strong start to the new campaign.

Lambert has guided Villa to three victories and a draw in the team's opening four matches, with those 10 points good enough for second in the Premier League table behind Chelsea (12 points).

Every possible metric, however, suggests the club is punching well above their weight and enjoying a healthy dose of luck thus far. They have scored four goals from only six shots on target and have conceded just one despite giving up 13 shots per match.

The early success seems to be unsustainable given those numbers, but at the moment that likely won't be of too much concern to Lambert.