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It was 60 days in the past that Morgan Rogers was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while his coach admonished him over not reading a pass in behind. Back then, as the club failed to win in six, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause for the side's more general malaise.

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

In the latest match, though, the touchline reaction proved to be decidedly more positive. After Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their opening six games, find themselves just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Serious Hopefuls?

This is a particularly tough query to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Additionally, their performances haven't been entirely convincing this season, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.

Per statistical analysis, on just two occasions have Villa registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club who have put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – however currently the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition and wait for Rogers to bail them out with two clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again versus Manchester United.

The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, Manchester United managed more shots and more direct attempts. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those games.

A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent the club must confront as the season progresses. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting his shots into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be another reality where, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he resembled during his peak.
• The defensive duo are due to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured precisely because it seems so surreal. As Rogers stood in front of the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.