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It was 60 days in the past when Morgan Rogers was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager admonished him over missing a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his displays were a symptom or the source for Villa's wider issues.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely decidedly more positive. When the in-form star drilled in his second strike to reclaim the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team were on their way to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their initial half-dozen fixtures, find themselves a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?

It remains a rather hard question to address. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the positive results have accumulated.

According to the data, twice all season have Villa registered an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a team that have just won 10 in a row, they appear weirdly vulnerable – yet at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy seems to be to trade blows with rivals and wait for Rogers to rescue them with a couple of crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again versus Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, bent just inside the upright from the corner of the box. For his second was essentially a slight scruffier version of the opener as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“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. In the recent win, Manchester United registered more shots and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by just one goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those games.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent Villa have to face in the near future. Their key man, surely, cannot maintain thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is an alternative path where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward might resume scoring again.
• The winger could transform into the force he resembled during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs are due to return from injury, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a title challenge, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, this is a surprise. Few believed the team would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine Rogers as the year closed would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a crucial Three Lions star.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it feels so unlikely. When Rogers faced the Villa faithful when the game ended conducting the cheers, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.