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A mere two months prior when Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery berated him over not reading a through-ball. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear whether his displays were a symptom or a cause for Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, though, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. After Rogers curled home his second to restore the lead for Villa, Emery discarded his coat, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, find themselves only three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Hopefuls?

This is a particularly tough proposition to answer. The historical record, the perceived status of this institution, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they've rarely been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the positive results have accumulated.

As per Opta, in only two games has the side registered an xG notably superior than the opposition. For a team who have put together a ten-match winning streak, Villa seem curiously susceptible – but currently the fine lines are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy seems to be to trade blows with the opposition and wait for Rogers to bail them out with two crisp finishes. This occurred against Leeds, it occurred in London, and again versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, curled right inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal proved to be 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling the football into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Could it be another reality whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet find their top level.

• The main striker could start scoring again.
• The winger could transform into the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.

This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt two months ago, no one envisioned Rogers as the year closed would be at the forefront of a title charge and appearing as a vital Three Lions star.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful when the game ended leading the celebrations, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are rare in football and must be appreciated.