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A mere 60 days prior that Morgan Rogers found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery admonished him over not reading a penetrating pass. During that period, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his performances were a sign or the source of the side's wider issues.

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

In the latest match, in contrast, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. As the in-form star curled home his brace-sealing goal to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his jacket, threw his arms wide and roared. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, now sit only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

That’s an exceptionally difficult query to answer. Past precedent, a general sense of this institution, argues against it. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding in many games, while the victories have stacked up.

As per Opta, twice all season have Villa posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team that have strung together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – however currently the margins are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy looks like to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on Rogers to bail them out with some clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened versus Manchester United.

His opener originated from a brilliant finish, arced just inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second acted as a slight scruffier version of his first capitalizing 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?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opponents managed more efforts and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those matches.

Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival Villa must confront in the near future. The forward, surely, cannot keep on drilling his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists a different scenario where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the performer he showed during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this is a surprise. Few believed Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as a vital Three Lions star.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it seems so surreal. When the hero faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.