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A mere two months in the past when Morgan Rogers was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while his coach scolded him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, as Villa went six without a win, the question was if his performances were an indicator or the source of the side's wider issues.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

This weekend, however, the sideline response was decidedly more positive. As the England international curled home his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their initial half-dozen matches, are somehow only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard question to answer. The historical record, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.

Per the data, in only two games have Villa had an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a team that have just won ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem strangely fragile – but right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy looks like to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping Rogers to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more when facing United.

The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, curled precisely inside the upright from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents registered more efforts and more direct attempts. Villa have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those matches.

A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling the football into the top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is an alternative path where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• The winger might become the force he resembled during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs are set to regain fitness, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the possibility for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt two months ago, few could imagine Rogers now would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital England player.

The current run must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. When the match-winner faced the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.