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A mere 60 days ago when Morgan Rogers stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager admonished him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, the question was whether his displays were a sign or a cause of the team's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, though, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. As Rogers curled home his second to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his coat, spread his arms and bellowed. The team were on their way to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their opening six matches, find themselves just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Title Contenders?

That’s an exceptionally difficult query to answer. History, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, even as the victories have stacked up.

According to the data, in only two games has the team had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side that have strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – but at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping their star man to rescue them with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal came from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on a pass from Watkins.

“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?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge Villa have to face over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, cannot keep on thrashing his shots into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is an alternative path in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
• The winger may rediscover the performer he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are set to return from injury, fortifying a sometimes shaky backline.

This could contain the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, few could imagine the young forward by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner faced the home supporters when the game ended conducting the cheers, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.