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A mere eight weeks prior when Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while Unai Emery berated him for not reading a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his displays were an indicator or the reason 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 manager's outburst was entirely far more favourable. As Rogers swept in his second strike to reclaim his side's advantage, the boss discarded his coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, find themselves a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Title Contenders?

That’s a rather hard question to address. History, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding during this run, even as the positive results have accumulated.

As per statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the team had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a side that have put together 10 in a row, Villa seem weirdly vulnerable – yet at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with rivals and wait for their talisman to save the day with some precise efforts. It happened at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and it happened against United.

The initial strike came from a superb shot, curled right inside the post from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a slight scruffier version of the opener as he seized on a pass from Watkins.

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

Is It Sustainable?

Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opposition registered more shots and more shots on target. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.

A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent Villa will encounter in the near future. Rogers, surely, cannot maintain blasting his shots into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists an alternative path in which, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward might resume scoring again.
• The attacking talent might become the player he was in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are due to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt two months ago, nobody thought the young forward now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit and appearing as a crucial England player.

This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When the hero faced the North End after the match conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.