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A mere two months ago when Morgan Rogers found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as his coach berated him for not reading a through-ball. During that period, as the club went six without a win, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause 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 sideline response proved to be much more joyous. As Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his jacket, spread his arms and roared. The team marched on to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win any of their first six fixtures, find themselves a mere three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard proposition to resolve. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, while the positive results have accumulated.

As per statistical analysis, twice all season has the side had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club who have put together 10 in a row, they seem weirdly vulnerable – but at the moment the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent before hoping their talisman to save the day with some precise efforts. This occurred against Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and it happened against United.

The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, arced right inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of his first capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

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

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United had more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge the club must confront as the season progresses. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling the ball past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is an alternative path in which, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward might resume scoring again.
• The attacking talent might become the player he showed in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually regain fitness, fortifying a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

This remarkable period must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. When the hero faced the Villa faithful when the game ended conducting the cheers, it was clear to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These runs of form do not happen often and must be appreciated.