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It was 60 days prior that Morgan Rogers stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery berated him over not reading a through-ball. Back then, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained if his performances were a sign or the source of Villa's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, though, the sideline response was much more joyous. After the in-form star curled home his second to restore Villa's lead, Emery discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to a 10th successive win , after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, are somehow only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough proposition to address. History, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant in many games, even as the wins have accumulated.

According to statistical analysis, on just two occasions have Villa had an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a team that have strung together a ten-match winning streak, Villa seem curiously susceptible – yet currently the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with the opposition and wait for their star man to rescue them with a couple of crisp finishes. This was the case against Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again against United.

His opener originated from a superb shot, bent right inside the post from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced 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?

Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opposition registered more efforts and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those matches.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent Villa have to face over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, will not continue to thrashing his shots past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still find their top level.

• The main striker may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are set to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would be third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like a vital player for the national team.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. As the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.