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It was eight weeks ago when the young forward stood on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as his coach berated him for not reading a through-ball. Back then, as the club went six without a win, the question was if 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.”

This weekend, though, the sideline response proved to be decidedly more positive. When the in-form star curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, Emery discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and roared. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory , having failed to win any of their first six games, now sit a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough question to address. The historical record, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding in many games, despite the fact the positive results have stacked up.

Per statistical analysis, twice all season has the team registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club who have put together 10 in a row, they look weirdly vulnerable – however currently the margins are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with rivals before hoping their star man to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. This was the case away to Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again against Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from a superb shot, curled right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of the opener capitalizing 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?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.

A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is an alternative path in which, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
• The winger might become the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are due to regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the potential for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Villa would be third at Christmas. And certainly earlier this season, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial Three Lions star.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. As the hero stood in front of the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.