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It was 60 days ago when Morgan Rogers was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery scolded him over not reading a penetrating pass. Back then, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his performances were an indicator or a cause for Villa's more general malaise.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. When the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, Emery tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team continued to ten wins in a row and after failing to win any of their first six matches, find themselves just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard question to address. Past precedent, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, despite the fact the victories have piled up.

Per Opta, in only two games has the team posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club that have put together 10 in a row, the Villans look curiously susceptible – but right now the fine lines are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired in London, and again versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal originated from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“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?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, Manchester United registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all except one of those games.

A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent Villa must confront over the coming weeks. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the net's top corner week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists an alternative path where, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet rediscover their best form.

• The main striker may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he showed during his peak.
• The defensive duo will eventually regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a title challenge, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on one man.

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought the team would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt back in October, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a title charge while establishing himself as a vital player for the national team.

This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When the hero faced the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.