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Just 60 days ago when Morgan Rogers was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery admonished him over not reading a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, the question was whether Rogers' form were a symptom or the reason of Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be far more favourable. When the in-form star curled home his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win any of their first six games, find themselves just three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?

That’s a rather hard question to address. Past precedent, the traditional standing of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant this season, while the positive results have accumulated.

Per the data, twice all season has the team registered an xG notably superior than the other team. For a team that have just won 10 in a row, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – yet right now the margins are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy looks like to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with some precise efforts. This occurred at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more versus the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, bent right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version 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?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all except one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean could be the greatest opponent Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, will not continue to drilling the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists a different scenario whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the performer he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are due to return from injury, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.

This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a hunt for the title and appearing as an essential player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. When Rogers positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.