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A mere eight weeks in the past that Morgan Rogers found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused while Unai Emery berated him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, the question was if Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause for the team's wider issues.

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

In the latest match, in contrast, the sideline response was far more favourable. When Rogers drilled in his second strike to restore the lead for Villa, Emery tore off his winter coat, spread his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, are somehow a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard question to answer. The historical record, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing this season, even as the wins have stacked up.

Per the data, twice all season have Villa had an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a side that have strung together a ten-match winning streak, they seem curiously susceptible – however right now the fine lines are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy seems to be to trade blows with the opposition before hoping Rogers to rescue them with two precise efforts. This was the case against Leeds, it happened in London, and again versus United.

The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the upright from a wide position. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“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.”

Can It Last?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opposition registered more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge the club will encounter over the coming weeks. Their key man, almost certainly, will not continue to thrashing the football into the top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be an alternative path in which, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still find their top level.

• The main striker may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The winger could transform into the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine Rogers now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.