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It was two months ago that Morgan Rogers was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager admonished him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were a sign or a cause for the side's more general malaise.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. As Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss tore off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The team were on their way to a 10th successive win and despite not winning any of their first six games, are somehow only three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard proposition to resolve. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, while the wins have stacked up.

Per the data, twice all season have Villa posted an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a side which has strung together 10 in a row, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – but currently the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and wait for Rogers to rescue them with some precise efforts. This was the case away to Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened when facing United.

His opener originated from a brilliant finish, curled right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Perhaps Rogers’ right foot is becoming like Arjen Robben’s left: just because you know he’s going to whip the ball into the top corner doesn’t mean you can stop him.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition managed more shots and more shots on target. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those games.

A reversion to average could be the most significant challenge they must confront in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling his shots into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path in which, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players might still rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• The winger could transform into the force he showed in Germany.
• The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, strengthening a sometimes shaky backline.

This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this was unforeseen. Few believed Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as an essential player for the national team.

This winning streak should be enjoyed for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When Rogers stood in front of the home supporters at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.