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A mere 60 days in the past that Morgan Rogers was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery scolded him for missing a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his displays were a sign or the source of 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 touchline reaction was entirely far more favourable. After Rogers swept in his second strike to restore his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, spread his arms and bellowed. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their opening six games, now sit just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Challengers?

This is an exceptionally difficult query to answer. History, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, while the positive results have accumulated.

According to the data, on just two occasions has the team had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team who have put together 10 in a row, Villa seem weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the fine lines are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy looks like to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on their star man to bail them out with two clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it happened in London, and again versus the Red Devils.

His opener came from a superb shot, curled right inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version 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. In the recent win, the opponents registered more shots and more direct attempts. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those matches.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent Villa must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on thrashing the ball into the top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be another reality where, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start scoring again.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the force he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are set to return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this was unforeseen. Few believed Aston Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder now would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital Three Lions star.

This winning streak must be cherished exactly since it feels so unlikely. As Rogers positioned himself before the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.