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It was 60 days ago when the Villa attacker found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as Unai Emery berated him over missing a through-ball. At that point, as the club went six without a win, the question was whether his displays were an indicator or the source of the team's broader struggles.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response was far more favourable. As the in-form star curled home his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, opened his arms and roared. Villa continued to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their opening six fixtures, are somehow a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Challengers?

It remains a rather hard question to resolve. History, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been entirely convincing during this run, despite the fact the victories have piled up.

According to statistical analysis, in only two games have Villa posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, Villa seem strangely fragile – however at the moment the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with the opposition and wait for their talisman to bail them out with two precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and once more when facing Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from a superb shot, arced right inside the post from a wide position. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opponents registered a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

A reversion to average could be the biggest rival Villa must confront as the season progresses. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling the football into the top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is another reality where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The winger may rediscover the force he resembled during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would sit third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, nobody thought Rogers now would be leading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential Three Lions star.

This winning streak should be enjoyed precisely because it appears so improbable. As the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.