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It was 60 days ago when Morgan Rogers was standing on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery admonished him for missing a through-ball. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, the question was if his performances were an indicator or the source for Villa'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 manager's outburst proved to be decidedly more positive. After the in-form star curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery tore off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. Villa continued to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win any of their first six fixtures, find themselves a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard proposition to answer. History, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the wins have piled up.

Per the data, in only two games has the side registered an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a side which has just won 10 in a row, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the margins are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and then rely on their star man to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again when facing United.

Rogers' first goal originated from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the upright from a wide position. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he seized 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opponents managed more shots and more direct attempts. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.

A reversion to average could be the most significant challenge the club must confront as the season progresses. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing his shots into the net's top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is another reality whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins could start scoring again.
• The attacking talent might become the performer he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this is a surprise. Few believed Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential England player.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner stood in front of the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.