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It was two months prior that Morgan Rogers stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery admonished him over not reading a pass in behind. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether Rogers' form were a sign or the source of Villa's more general malaise.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

In the latest match, however, the manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. After the in-form star swept in his second to reinstate his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, spread his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, now sit just three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

It remains a particularly tough proposition to resolve. History, the traditional standing of this institution, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant this season, even as the wins have piled up.

As per the data, on just two occasions has the team posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team that have put together a ten-match winning streak, they look weirdly vulnerable – but currently the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic looks like to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for Rogers to save the day with two crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it happened in London, and once more when facing the Red Devils.

The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the post from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

Is It Sustainable?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those games.

Regression to the mean might be the greatest opponent the club will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, cannot maintain blasting the ball into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path in which, rather than luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• The winger might become the performer he was in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are set to come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defence.

This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought the team would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like a crucial player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. As Rogers positioned himself before the home supporters at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.