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It was eight weeks prior when Morgan Rogers stood on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while the Villa manager berated him over missing a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his performances were a symptom or the reason of Villa's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, though, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. As Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his coat, opened his arms and roared. The team marched on to a tenth straight victory , having failed to win any of their first six matches, are somehow a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Serious Challengers?

This is a rather hard proposition to resolve. The historical record, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the wins have piled up.

Per statistical analysis, twice all season has the side had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team who have strung together ten consecutive victories, they look weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to bail them out with some crisp finishes. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and it happened against Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, curled right inside the post from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slight scruffier version of goal number one as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

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

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. They have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those matches.

A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent they have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, will not continue to thrashing the ball past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he was in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are set to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. Few believed Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward now would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital England player.

This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it appears so improbable. As the hero faced the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods do not happen often and should be relished.