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A mere two months prior that Morgan Rogers was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while his coach scolded him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause of the team's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, however, the sideline response proved to be decidedly more positive. After the England international curled home his second to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss tore off his coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and having failed to win their initial half-dozen games, are somehow only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

This is a particularly tough query to answer. The historical record, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, even as the wins have piled up.

As per the data, in only two games has the team registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club which has just won 10 in a row, the Villans seem strangely fragile – however currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to rescue them with a couple of precise efforts. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred in London, and again when facing Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal originated from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal was essentially 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?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent the club have to face in the near future. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain blasting the ball into the net's top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists another reality where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, fortifying a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt two months ago, few could imagine the midfielder as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as an essential England player.

This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When the hero faced the North End when the game ended conducting the cheers, it was clear to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.