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It was 60 days ago that the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager berated him over missing a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club went six without a win, doubts remained whether his displays were an indicator or the source for the side's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, though, the sideline response proved to be much more joyous. As Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery tore off his winter coat, spread his arms and bellowed. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning any of their first six matches, find themselves a mere three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?

It remains a particularly tough query to address. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, argues against it. Additionally, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, while the wins have stacked up.

As per the data, on just two occasions has the side registered an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a club that have put together 10 in a row, they appear strangely fragile – but at the moment the margins are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and then rely on their star man to rescue them with some clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and it happened against Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a slight scruffier version of goal number one as he pounced 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those games.

Regression to the mean might be the most significant challenge they will encounter as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot keep on thrashing the ball into the top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

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

• Ollie Watkins could start scoring again.
• The winger could transform into the performer he resembled during his peak.
• The defensive duo are set to return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky defensive unit.

This could contain the potential of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this is a surprise. Nobody thought the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder now would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like a vital Three Lions star.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. When Rogers faced the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.