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It was 60 days prior when Morgan Rogers stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager scolded him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. During that period, as the club went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his displays were a symptom or a cause for Villa's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the manager's outburst was entirely much more joyous. After Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The team continued to a 10th successive win , after failing to win their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves a mere three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Challengers?

It remains an exceptionally difficult question to address. History, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been wholly dominant during this run, despite the fact the wins have accumulated.

According to the data, twice all season has the side had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team which has strung together ten consecutive victories, they seem curiously susceptible – however currently the margins are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on Rogers to bail them out with two clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

“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?

Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United registered a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.

Regression to the mean could be the greatest opponent Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Could it be a different scenario in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker might resume adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defence.

This could contain the possibility of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable the team would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward as the year closed would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital England player.

The current run must be cherished exactly since it appears so improbable. When the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.