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Just 60 days in the past that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while his coach admonished him for not reading a pass in behind. Back then, as the club went six without a win, it wasn't clear if his displays were a symptom 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 sideline response was entirely far more favourable. As Rogers curled home his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his jacket, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team marched on to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win any of their first six games, find themselves just three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard proposition to resolve. Past precedent, the traditional standing of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the victories have stacked up.

According to the data, on just two occasions has the team had an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a club who have put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look strangely fragile – however right now the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with rivals and wait for their star man to rescue them with some crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again versus United.

His opener stemmed from an exquisite effort, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition had more shots and more shots on target. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

A reversion to average could be the biggest rival they must confront in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Could it be an alternative path where, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The winger may rediscover the performer he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be leading a hunt for the title and appearing as a crucial England player.

This remarkable period is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. When Rogers positioned himself before the Villa faithful 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 must be appreciated.