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A mere eight weeks in the past that Morgan Rogers stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery berated him over missing a through-ball. Back then, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were a sign or the reason for the side's broader struggles.

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

This weekend, however, the touchline reaction proved to be far more favourable. As Rogers drilled in his second to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. The team marched on to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win their opening six fixtures, are somehow a mere three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Serious Challengers?

This is a rather hard proposition to answer. The historical record, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, while the wins have stacked up.

According to the data, on just two occasions has the side registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team that have put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear strangely fragile – but currently the margins are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their talisman to rescue them with a couple of precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more against United.

His opener stemmed from an exquisite effort, curled precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opponents had more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction could be the most significant challenge they must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on thrashing his shots past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists another reality where, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he resembled during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this was unforeseen. Few believed the team would occupy third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers now would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like a crucial England player.

This winning streak is to be savoured for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the hero faced the home supporters after the match conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.