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A mere 60 days ago that Morgan Rogers found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused while his coach scolded him over not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether Rogers' form were a sign or the source for the side's wider issues.

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

In the latest match, though, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. As Rogers drilled in his second to restore Villa's lead, Emery discarded his jacket, spread his arms and roared. Villa were on their way to a 10th successive win , after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, now sit a mere three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard question to resolve. The historical record, the perceived status of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, while the victories have piled up.

As per Opta, in only two games has the side had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a side that have just won ten consecutive victories, Villa appear weirdly vulnerable – however right now the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping their talisman to rescue them with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it transpired in London, and again when facing the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal originated from an exquisite effort, curled precisely inside the post from a wide position. The follow-up goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

“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. In the recent win, the opponents managed more efforts and more shots on target. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those matches.

A statistical correction could be the most significant challenge the club must confront in the near future. Rogers, surely, cannot maintain drilling the ball into the top corner week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Could it be a different scenario where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• The attacking talent might become the player he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, fortifying a periodically leaky defensive unit.

This could contain the potential for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed Aston Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, few could imagine the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods do not happen often and must be appreciated.