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A mere 60 days ago that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager scolded him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. Back then, as the club went six without a win, the question was if Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason for Villa's broader struggles.

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

This weekend, though, the manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. As the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The team continued to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win their initial half-dozen games, find themselves a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?

It remains an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, argues against it. Furthermore, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, while the victories have piled up.

As per the data, in only two games have Villa registered an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a club who have put together a ten-match winning streak, they seem curiously susceptible – however at the moment the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to trade blows with rivals and wait for their talisman to bail them out with two crisp finishes. This was the case against Leeds, it transpired in London, and it happened when facing Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, arced precisely inside the post from a wide position. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opposition had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all except one of those matches.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge Villa must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, cannot maintain drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists another reality whereby, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• The winger may rediscover the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are due to return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely earlier this season, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial England player.

This remarkable period is to be savoured precisely because it seems so surreal. As the match-winner faced the North End after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.