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Just two months prior that Morgan Rogers was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery berated him for not reading a through-ball. During that period, as the club went six without a win, the question was whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the source for Villa's more general malaise.

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

In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction was far more favourable. After Rogers drilled in his second strike to reclaim Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa continued to ten wins in a row and despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, are somehow just three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Challengers?

This is a rather hard query to resolve. History, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding during this run, despite the fact the victories have stacked up.

Per the data, in only two games have Villa registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side that have just won ten consecutive victories, they appear strangely fragile – but at the moment the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy seems to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition before hoping Rogers to save the day with two crisp finishes. This occurred away to Leeds, it happened in London, and once more when facing the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he seized on a pass from Watkins.

“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 managed a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.

A statistical correction might be the biggest rival Villa must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing the ball into the top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures may yet rediscover their best form.

• The main striker might resume finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the player he showed during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this is a surprise. Nobody thought the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers as the year closed would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.

This remarkable period must be cherished exactly since it feels so unlikely. When Rogers faced the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.