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A mere eight weeks in the past that Morgan Rogers was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as his coach berated him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. Back then, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his displays were a symptom or the reason for Villa's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, however, the manager's outburst proved to be decidedly more positive. When the in-form star curled home his second to reclaim the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa were on their way to a 10th successive win and despite not winning their initial half-dozen fixtures, are somehow a mere three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard query to answer. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant this season, even as the positive results have piled up.

According to Opta, in only two games have Villa posted an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a team who have put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping their star man to bail them out with some clinical strikes. This was the case away to Leeds, it transpired in London, and again versus United.

His opener came from an exquisite effort, arced right inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

A reversion to average might be the biggest rival the club must confront as the season progresses. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on thrashing the ball into the net's top corner week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

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

• Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent could transform into the force he showed in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And certainly earlier this season, nobody thought the young forward as the year closed would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial England player.

The current run should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. As Rogers faced the North End when the game ended leading the celebrations, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.