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A mere two months ago when Morgan Rogers stood on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while his coach berated him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, the question was whether his displays were a symptom or the reason of the side's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, however, the sideline response proved to be decidedly more positive. After Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to restore Villa's lead, Emery discarded his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win their initial half-dozen matches, now sit only three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Title Contenders?

It remains a particularly tough question to answer. History, the traditional standing of Villa, argues against it. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding during this run, even as the wins have stacked up.

According to Opta, twice all season has the team had an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a club that have just won a ten-match winning streak, Villa appear curiously susceptible – yet currently the margins are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for their talisman to bail them out with two clinical strikes. This occurred against Leeds, it occurred in London, and once more versus United.

The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal was essentially 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opposition registered more efforts and more shots on target. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

A statistical correction might be the biggest rival Villa must confront in the near future. The forward, surely, will not continue to blasting his shots past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists another reality where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still find their top level.

• The centre-forward may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent could transform into the force he showed during his peak.
• The defensive duo are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine Rogers now would be spearheading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a crucial England player.

The current run should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. As Rogers stood in front of the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, it was clear to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and must be appreciated.