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A mere 60 days prior when Morgan Rogers found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery admonished him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was if Rogers' form were a symptom or the reason of the team's broader struggles.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

In the latest match, in contrast, the sideline response proved to be far more favourable. After the England international drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery discarded his coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team continued to a 10th successive win and despite not winning any of their first six games, find themselves a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Title Contenders?

It remains a rather hard proposition to address. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, suggests not. Additionally, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, even as the victories have piled up.

Per statistical analysis, twice all season have Villa registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, Villa look curiously susceptible – yet currently the margins are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with an opponent before hoping their talisman to rescue them with some crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more versus United.

His opener stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he pounced 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. During the latest victory, Manchester United registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those matches.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent they have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent might become the player he resembled in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are set to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, nobody thought the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the hero stood in front of the home supporters after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.