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Just eight weeks ago that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while Unai Emery admonished him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, the question was whether Rogers' form were a sign or the reason for the side's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. As the in-form star swept in his second strike to restore Villa's lead, the boss tore off his jacket, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their opening six fixtures, find themselves a mere three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Challengers?

This is a particularly tough question to address. Past precedent, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been wholly dominant during this run, even as the victories have stacked up.

Per statistical analysis, twice all season has the side registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club who have put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look weirdly vulnerable – but at the moment the margins are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on their talisman to rescue them with some clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and once more when facing Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he pounced 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.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opponents registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those matches.

A reversion to average might be the greatest opponent they will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, will not continue to drilling the football into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Could it be a different scenario where, rather than luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent could transform into the force he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

But then, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward now would be at the forefront of a title charge and appearing as an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. When Rogers stood in front of the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and should be relished.