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A mere 60 days in the past when Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery admonished him over not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his performances were an indicator or the source of Villa's more general malaise.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

In the latest match, in contrast, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. After Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore Villa's lead, Emery discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team were on their way to ten wins in a row , after failing to win any of their first six fixtures, are somehow a mere three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?

It remains a particularly tough question to resolve. The historical record, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, even as the positive results have stacked up.

As per Opta, in only two games has the team had an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a team that have put together a ten-match winning streak, Villa seem strangely fragile – yet at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for Rogers to rescue them with some precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, curled right inside the upright from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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?

Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, Manchester United managed more shots and more direct attempts. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean may well be the biggest rival they have to face as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, cannot keep on drilling the football into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be a different scenario in which, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent might become the force he was in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are due to regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.

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

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers by the end of the year would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential Three Lions star.

This remarkable period must be cherished exactly since it feels so unlikely. As Rogers stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.