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A mere eight weeks prior that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while his coach admonished him over not reading a through-ball. At that point, as the club went six without a win, doubts remained whether his performances were a symptom or the reason of the side's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst proved to be far more favourable. As the in-form star swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery tore off his jacket, opened his arms and roared. The team continued to a 10th successive win and after failing to win any of their first six games, now sit just three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?

It remains a particularly tough question to resolve. History, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, even as the wins have accumulated.

According to the data, on just two occasions has the team had an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a team that have put together a ten-match winning streak, Villa appear curiously susceptible – but at the moment the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach appears to be to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their talisman to rescue them with two clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again when facing the Red Devils.

His opener stemmed from an exquisite effort, arced just inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of goal number one capitalizing 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.”

Can It Last?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opposition registered more shots and more direct attempts. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all but one of those matches.

Regression to the mean could be the most significant challenge they must confront over the coming weeks. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Could it be another reality in which, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures may yet return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward might resume finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are set to return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this was unforeseen. Few believed Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder as the year closed would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while looking like a vital Three Lions star.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the match-winner faced 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 ought to be celebrated.