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A mere eight weeks prior when the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as his coach admonished him over not reading a through-ball. Back then, with the team went six without a win, it wasn't clear if his performances were a sign or the reason of the team's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, however, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. As the England international curled home his second to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery tore off his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. The team were on their way to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win their opening six games, are somehow just three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Challengers?

That’s a particularly tough question to resolve. History, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Moreover, their performances haven't been wholly dominant this season, while the positive results have accumulated.

Per the data, on just two occasions have Villa registered an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a team that have strung together 10 in a row, they seem curiously susceptible – yet right now the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy seems to be to trade blows with an opponent and wait for their talisman to save the day with some crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and again when facing Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, arced right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opponents managed more efforts and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those games.

A reversion to average could be the biggest rival they must confront over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers forever.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is another reality whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• The attacking talent might become the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And certainly two months ago, nobody thought the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital England player.

This winning streak should be enjoyed precisely because it appears so improbable. When the match-winner positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match conducting the cheers, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.