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A mere 60 days in the past when Morgan Rogers found himself on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager scolded him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason 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, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. When Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore his side's advantage, the boss tore off his coat, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club marched on to a 10th successive win and despite not winning their opening six matches, find themselves just three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard query to answer. History, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, even as the victories have stacked up.

According to the data, twice all season has the team registered an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a club who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, Villa appear strangely fragile – however currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on their star man to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This was the case against Leeds, it transpired in London, and it happened against the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal originated from an exquisite effort, arced precisely inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal acted as a slight scruffier version of his first as he pounced 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.”

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, Manchester United managed more shots and more shots on target. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent they will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, in all likelihood, will not continue to thrashing the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists a different scenario whereby, rather than luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures could still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, this was unforeseen. Few believed Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner faced the North End at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.