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It was 60 days prior when Morgan Rogers was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused as the Villa manager scolded him over not reading a through-ball. Back then, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his performances were an indicator or the source of the team's wider issues.

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

On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. When the England international swept in his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery discarded his winter coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team were on their way to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, are somehow only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Challengers?

This is an exceptionally difficult question to resolve. Past precedent, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Additionally, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, while the wins have stacked up.

As per Opta, twice all season have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team which has put together a ten-match winning streak, Villa seem curiously susceptible – yet at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with rivals and wait for Rogers to bail them out with some precise efforts. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more versus United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of goal number one capitalizing 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, Manchester United registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent they must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward as the year closed would be spearheading a hunt for the title and appearing as an essential Three Lions star.

This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.