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It was 60 days prior when the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while his coach admonished him for missing a penetrating pass. Back then, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays were an indicator or the source for the team's more general malaise.

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

In the latest match, though, the touchline reaction proved to be decidedly more positive. When Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery tore off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The team were on their way to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves just three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Challengers?

It remains a rather hard proposition to answer. History, the perceived status of this institution, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, even as the positive results have accumulated.

As per the data, twice all season has the team posted an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a side who have strung together 10 in a row, the Villans appear strangely fragile – yet at the moment the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic looks like to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on Rogers to rescue them with two clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more versus the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled right inside the post from a wide position. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

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

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opposition registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent they have to face as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, cannot keep on thrashing his shots past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the performer he resembled during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like a crucial England player.

The current run should be enjoyed precisely because it seems so surreal. When the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.