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It was eight weeks prior that Morgan Rogers was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager admonished him for not reading a pass in behind. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were an indicator or the source for the side's broader struggles.

“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 entirely much more joyous. As Rogers drilled in his second to restore Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club marched on to a 10th successive win and despite not winning their initial half-dozen matches, now sit just three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard query to answer. History, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been entirely convincing this season, while the wins have piled up.

According to the data, on just two occasions has the team posted an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a side who have just won ten consecutive victories, the Villans look strangely fragile – yet right now the margins are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their talisman to save the day with some clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more against Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal originated from an exquisite effort, arced just inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival they must confront as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, will not continue to thrashing his shots into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is another reality in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward might resume scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he resembled in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are set to come back from the treatment room, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.

This could contain the possibility for a sustained push, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential England player.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the hero stood in front of the home supporters at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and must be appreciated.