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It was 60 days ago that Morgan Rogers stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as his coach scolded him for missing a through-ball. At that point, with the team went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his displays were an indicator or a cause for Villa'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 touchline reaction was entirely much more joyous. After Rogers curled home his second strike to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his coat, opened his arms and roared. The team continued to ten wins in a row and after failing to win any of their first six matches, are somehow only three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?

This is an exceptionally difficult question to answer. Past precedent, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.

As per the data, on just two occasions have Villa had an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a club which has strung together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear strangely fragile – however right now the fine lines are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to engage in a shootout with rivals before hoping their star man to bail them out with two crisp finishes. This occurred against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again when facing United.

Rogers' first goal came from an exquisite effort, curled precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a slight scruffier version of the opener capitalizing 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. The team has won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those matches.

A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent they have to face in the near future. Rogers, surely, will not continue to drilling the ball past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The winger may rediscover the player he showed in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential Three Lions star.

The current run should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. When Rogers positioned himself before the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and must be appreciated.