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It was two months prior that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager admonished him over missing a through-ball. Back then, as the club went six without a win, the question was if his displays were a symptom or the source of the team's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be far more favourable. As the in-form star drilled in his second to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss tore off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. Villa were on their way to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning their initial half-dozen fixtures, now sit just three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough proposition to resolve. The historical record, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant this season, while the positive results have accumulated.

According to Opta, on just two occasions has the side had an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a side which has put together a ten-match winning streak, Villa look curiously susceptible – but at the moment the margins are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy seems to be to trade blows with an opponent before hoping their star man to bail them out with some precise efforts. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and once more when facing United.

The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent just inside the goal frame from a wide position. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener 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?

Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United registered a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction might be the biggest rival they will encounter as the season progresses. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists another reality where, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• The attacking talent might become the performer he resembled in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are set to regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

The current run is to be savoured for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle leading the celebrations, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and must be appreciated.