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A mere eight weeks prior that Morgan Rogers was standing on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while his coach admonished him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays were a sign or a cause for Villa's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst was decidedly more positive. When Rogers curled home his second to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician ripped off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team marched on to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning their opening six matches, find themselves a mere three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?

This is an exceptionally difficult query to address. History, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been entirely convincing during this run, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.

Per the data, twice all season have Villa posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a side which has strung together 10 in a row, Villa look curiously susceptible – yet currently the margins are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on their star man to rescue them with some precise efforts. It happened away to Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.

His opener came from a superb shot, arced just inside the post from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. Villa have secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean could be the biggest rival they will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling the football into the top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Could it be a different scenario in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent might become the performer he resembled during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs are set to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward as the year closed would be leading a title charge and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it seems so surreal. As Rogers stood in front of the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.