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Just two months in the past that Morgan Rogers stood on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager berated him for missing a pass in behind. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were a symptom or the reason for Villa's more general malaise.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. When Rogers drilled in his second strike to reclaim the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , after failing to win any of their first six matches, find themselves just three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Title Contenders?

This is an exceptionally difficult question to resolve. The historical record, the perceived status of this institution, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they've rarely been entirely convincing this season, even as the wins have piled up.

Per the data, on just two occasions has the team had an expected goals figure significantly higher than the other team. For a club who have strung together ten consecutive victories, they look curiously susceptible – yet currently the margins are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping their star man to bail them out with some clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again when facing Manchester United.

The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized 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.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge the club have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, will not continue to thrashing the ball past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is another reality where, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures may yet return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the player he showed in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.

This could contain the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Few believed Aston Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought Rogers now would be leading a title charge while looking like a vital Three Lions star.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the hero stood in front of the North End when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.