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It was two months in the past that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while his coach scolded him over missing a through-ball. Back then, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether Rogers' form were a sign or the reason of Villa's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely decidedly more positive. When Rogers drilled in his second to restore Villa's lead, Emery discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and roared. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their opening six matches, find themselves only three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?

This is an exceptionally difficult query to address. History, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the positive results have accumulated.

According to Opta, on just two occasions has the team posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a team which has just won 10 in a row, they look curiously susceptible – however right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with rivals and wait for their talisman to bail them out with two crisp finishes. This was the case away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and it happened against the Red Devils.

His opener came from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second was essentially 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.”

Can It Last?

Logic says not. Against United, the opponents managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.

A reversion to average might be the greatest opponent the club have to face over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing the ball into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet find their top level.

• The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the force he was during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.

This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt two months ago, no one envisioned Rogers as the year closed would be leading a title charge while looking like a vital player for the national team.

The current run should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. When Rogers positioned himself before the North End after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.