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Just 60 days ago that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as his coach admonished him over not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club went six without a win, the question was if Rogers' form were a sign or the reason of the side's wider issues.

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

This weekend, though, the manager's outburst was entirely decidedly more positive. When the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row and despite not winning their opening six matches, are somehow just three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough query to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, their performances haven't been wholly dominant during this run, despite the fact the positive results have stacked up.

As per statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the team had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team that have just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem strangely fragile – yet right now the fine lines are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach looks like to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their star man to save the day with a couple of clinical strikes. This was the case away to Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and it happened versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slight scruffier version of goal number one as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“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. Against United, the opposition had more efforts and more direct attempts. They have secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the greatest opponent Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on blasting the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still find their top level.

• The main striker might resume scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he showed during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

This could contain the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial player for the national team.

The current run should be enjoyed precisely because it appears so improbable. When the hero stood in front of the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.