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It was two months ago that Morgan Rogers found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him for missing a through-ball. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether Rogers' form were a symptom or the source of the team's wider issues.

“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 much more joyous. As Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician ripped off his coat, spread his arms and roared. Villa continued to a 10th successive win and after failing to win their opening six matches, are somehow just three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Serious Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough proposition to resolve. History, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the victories have piled up.

As per Opta, in only two games has the side registered an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a side that have put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – but right now the margins are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on their star man to bail them out with two crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more versus Manchester United.

The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, arced just inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of the opener 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. Against United, the opponents registered more shots and more direct attempts. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average might be the biggest rival Villa must confront over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, cannot maintain drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be a different scenario in which, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet find their top level.

• The main striker might resume scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he showed during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

This could contain the potential of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder now would be at the forefront of a title charge while looking like a vital player for the national team.

The current run should be enjoyed for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the match-winner positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.