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A mere two months ago when Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager scolded him for not reading a pass in behind. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were a symptom or the source for Villa's more general malaise.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

This weekend, though, the touchline reaction was decidedly more positive. When Rogers drilled in his second to restore his side's advantage, the boss discarded his coat, spread his arms and roared. The Birmingham club continued to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, now sit a mere three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?

That’s a rather hard query to resolve. History, a general sense of this institution, argues against it. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant in many games, even as the wins have accumulated.

Per Opta, in only two games have Villa registered an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a side who have strung together 10 in a row, they look weirdly vulnerable – but right now the margins are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to bail them out with two precise efforts. It happened at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and it happened against United.

The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the upright from a wide position. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.

A statistical correction might be the biggest rival the club will encounter in the near future. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling the ball into the top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists another reality in which, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The winger could transform into the performer he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defence.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And certainly earlier this season, nobody thought the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial Three Lions star.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner faced the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.