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A mere two months in the past that Morgan Rogers was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while his coach berated him over not reading a through-ball. During that period, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his displays were a symptom or the reason of Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be decidedly more positive. When Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to restore the lead for Villa, the boss ripped off his winter coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to a 10th successive win and despite not winning any of their first six matches, are somehow a mere three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Serious Title Contenders?

This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to address. History, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.

As per the data, in only two games has the side posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a side that have just won a ten-match winning streak, they seem weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the margins are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to trade blows with rivals and then rely on their star man to save the day with two clinical strikes. This was the case away to Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened when facing Manchester United.

His opener stemmed from a superb shot, bent just inside the goal frame from a wide position. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Perhaps Rogers’ right foot is becoming like Arjen Robben’s left: just because you know he’s going to whip the ball into the top corner doesn’t mean you can stop him.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opposition managed more shots and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those matches.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival Villa will encounter in the near future. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting the football into the top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is an alternative path where, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually regain fitness, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this was unforeseen. Few believed Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt two months ago, nobody thought Rogers now would be at the forefront of a title charge while establishing himself as a vital England player.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it seems so surreal. When the hero faced the Villa faithful when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.