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A mere two months in the past that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as his coach admonished him over not reading a through-ball. At that point, with the team endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause of 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, however, the sideline response was far more favourable. After Rogers curled home his second to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his coat, spread his arms and roared. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win their opening six games, are somehow only three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Challengers?

This is a rather hard query to answer. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, while the victories have piled up.

Per the data, in only two games has the team had an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a team which has put together 10 in a row, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on their star man to save the day with two precise efforts. This occurred against Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and it happened against United.

The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, arced right inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal 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. During the latest victory, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those matches.

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

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists a different scenario in which, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The winger could transform into the player he showed in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought the midfielder as the year closed would be at the forefront of a title charge while establishing himself as a crucial England player.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. When Rogers faced the Villa faithful when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and should be relished.