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Just 60 days in the past that Morgan Rogers stood on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused as his coach berated him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his displays were a symptom or the source for the team's more general malaise.

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

In the latest match, in contrast, the sideline response was decidedly more positive. After the in-form star drilled in his second to restore the lead for Villa, Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to a 10th successive win and after failing to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, are somehow just three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Challengers?

This is a rather hard question to resolve. The historical record, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the positive results have stacked up.

According to Opta, on just two occasions has the side registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, Villa appear weirdly vulnerable – yet at the moment the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition before hoping Rogers to save the day with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred against Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again against the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal originated from a superb shot, bent right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of his first capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

“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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opposition had more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, surely, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is another reality where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent could transform into the force he showed in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the potential for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential Three Lions star.

The current run is to be savoured exactly since it seems so surreal. When the match-winner faced the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.