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A mere 60 days ago when Morgan Rogers stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. Back then, as Villa failed to win in six, the question was whether Rogers' form were a sign or a cause for the team's broader struggles.

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

In the latest match, however, the sideline response was much more joyous. As Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore his side's advantage, the boss discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club continued to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their opening six matches, now sit just three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Title Contenders?

That’s a particularly tough proposition to address. History, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Moreover, they've rarely been entirely convincing this season, while the positive results have accumulated.

Per Opta, on just two occasions has the team registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team that have put together 10 in a row, the Villans seem strangely fragile – yet at the moment the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and then rely on their star man to save the day with a couple of clinical strikes. This was the case away to Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more versus Manchester United.

The initial strike came from an exquisite effort, curled just inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

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

Can It Last?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opponents registered more shots and more shots on target. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent Villa must confront in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling the football into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists another reality where, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent could transform into the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this was unforeseen. Few believed the team would sit in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt back in October, nobody thought Rogers as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial England player.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. When the hero positioned himself before the home supporters after the match conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and should be relished.