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It was 60 days prior that Morgan Rogers was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his performances were a sign or a cause for the team's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, though, the sideline response was far more favourable. When Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa continued to a 10th successive win and having failed to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, now sit just three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard proposition to address. History, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, even as the positive results have accumulated.

Per the data, on just two occasions have Villa posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team who have just won ten consecutive victories, they appear strangely fragile – yet right now the fine lines are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy looks like to engage in a shootout with the opposition and then rely on Rogers to save the day with two clinical strikes. This was the case against Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again when facing Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, bent just inside the goal frame from a wide position. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized 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?

Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opponents had more shots and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.

A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent they must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, will not continue to thrashing the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still find their top level.

• The centre-forward might resume finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent might become the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought the team would sit in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be leading a title charge and appearing as a crucial England player.

This remarkable period must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. As the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and should be relished.