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It was two months ago that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as his coach admonished him for missing a through-ball. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his performances were a symptom or the source of Villa's broader struggles.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

This weekend, however, the sideline response was far more favourable. As the in-form star curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his coat, opened his arms and roared. Villa were on their way to a 10th successive win and having failed to win any of their first six games, now sit a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard question to answer. History, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding during this run, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.

Per Opta, twice all season have Villa registered an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a side which has put together a ten-match winning streak, Villa appear weirdly vulnerable – but right now the margins are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping Rogers to bail them out with two precise efforts. This occurred against Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and once more when facing United.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opponents had more shots and more shots on target. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all except one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average could be the biggest rival they must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, will not continue to drilling the ball past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are due to regain fitness, fortifying a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a hunt for the title while looking like an essential player for the national team.

This winning streak must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. When Rogers positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.