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It was eight weeks ago that the Villa attacker stood on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as his coach scolded him for missing a through-ball. Back then, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were a sign or the reason for the side's broader struggles.

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

In the latest match, though, the touchline reaction was entirely far more favourable. After the England international swept in his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his coat, spread his arms and roared. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and despite not winning their opening six games, are somehow a mere three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Title Contenders?

That’s a rather hard question to answer. The historical record, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been wholly dominant this season, despite the fact the wins have piled up.

Per statistical analysis, twice all season has the team registered an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a club that have put together a ten-match winning streak, Villa appear weirdly vulnerable – yet at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping their star man to rescue them with a couple of crisp finishes. This was the case against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, curled just inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of his first capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

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

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, Manchester United managed more efforts and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean might be the most significant challenge they must confront as the season progresses. The forward, in all likelihood, will not continue to drilling his shots into the top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start scoring again.
• The winger could transform into the player he resembled during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

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

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, no one envisioned Rogers as the year closed would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial Three Lions star.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it seems so surreal. When the match-winner faced the North End at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.