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It was eight weeks ago that the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery admonished him over not reading a pass in behind. Back then, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether his displays were a sign or the reason of Villa's more general malaise.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction proved to be far more favourable. After the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician tore off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. Villa continued to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, are somehow just three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Challengers?

It remains a particularly tough question to address. History, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been entirely convincing during this run, while the victories have stacked up.

Per the data, on just two occasions has the side posted an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a side who have just won ten consecutive victories, the Villans look curiously susceptible – yet at the moment the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping Rogers to bail them out with some precise efforts. This was the case away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again when facing United.

The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced 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. Against United, the opponents registered more efforts and more shots on target. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean could be the biggest rival they must confront as the season progresses. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling the football into the top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Could it be a different scenario in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the possibility for a sustained push, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this is a surprise. Few believed Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a vital England player.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. As Rogers positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and must be appreciated.