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A mere 60 days prior when Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as the Villa manager admonished him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his performances were a symptom or a cause for Villa's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, however, the manager's outburst was entirely far more favourable. As the England international curled home his second to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician ripped off his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team continued to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, now sit only three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Title Contenders?

That’s an exceptionally difficult question to address. History, a general sense of this institution, argues against it. Moreover, they've rarely been entirely convincing this season, while the positive results have piled up.

Per the data, in only two games has the team had an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a club which has put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear strangely fragile – however currently the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to rescue them with two precise efforts. This was the case against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and once more when facing the Red Devils.

His opener came from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opponents had more shots and more direct attempts. The team has won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those matches.

A statistical correction may well be the biggest rival they must confront as the season progresses. The forward, surely, cannot keep on drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent might become the force he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo will eventually come back from the treatment room, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

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

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this was unforeseen. Few believed the team would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine Rogers now would be spearheading a hunt for the title and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

This winning streak must be cherished for the very reason that it appears so improbable. As the hero positioned himself before the North End when the game ended leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are rare in football and should be relished.