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Just 60 days in the past when Morgan Rogers stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery admonished him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club went six without a win, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause of the side's more general malaise.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

On Sunday, though, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. After Rogers drilled in his second strike to restore the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, spread his arms and roared. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their initial half-dozen matches, are somehow only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

That’s an exceptionally difficult proposition to address. Past precedent, the traditional standing of this institution, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding this season, while the positive results have piled up.

According to the data, on just two occasions has the team had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club who have just won ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem weirdly vulnerable – however right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic looks like to engage in a shootout with an opponent and wait for their star man to bail them out with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened away to Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal came from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the post from a wide position. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“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?

Logic says not. Against United, the opponents registered a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have 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 may well be the biggest rival the club will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is another reality whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he resembled in Germany.
• The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the possibility of a genuine bid, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.

This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As the hero stood in front of the home supporters after the match leading the celebrations, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.