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A mere two months in the past that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while Unai Emery scolded him for not reading a through-ball. At that point, with the team endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if his displays were a sign or a cause for Villa's wider issues.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

This weekend, however, the manager's outburst was entirely far more favourable. As the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician tore off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. Villa continued to ten wins in a row and despite not winning their opening six matches, are somehow just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Challengers?

This is a rather hard proposition to address. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, despite the fact the wins have accumulated.

Per Opta, twice all season have Villa registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club who have just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – however currently the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic looks like to trade blows with rivals before hoping their talisman to bail them out with a couple of crisp finishes. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and once more versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, bent right inside the goal frame from a wide position. His brace-completing goal acted as a slight scruffier version of goal number one as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

“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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opponents managed more shots and more efforts on goal. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those matches.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival they have to face in the near future. Their key man, surely, cannot maintain blasting the football into the net's top corner week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists a different scenario whereby, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still find their top level.

• The main striker might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent might become the performer he was in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are due to return from injury, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable the team would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge while looking like an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the hero stood in front of the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. Such periods do not happen often and should be relished.