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Just eight weeks in the past when the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while his coach admonished him for missing a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, the question was if his performances were an indicator or the source for the side's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, however, the sideline response proved to be decidedly more positive. As the in-form star swept in his second to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his coat, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, are somehow only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?

This is an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. The historical record, the perceived status of the club, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been wholly dominant during this run, while the victories have piled up.

According to Opta, on just two occasions has the team posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, they look weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the margins are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with rivals and then rely on their talisman to rescue them with some clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again when facing United.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those games.

A reversion to average could be the biggest rival the club will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, cannot maintain drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers forever.

A Case for Belief

Could it be a different scenario whereby, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the player he showed during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And without a doubt earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder now would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while looking like a vital England player.

The current run is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner positioned himself before the North End when the game ended leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.