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It was eight weeks prior when Morgan Rogers was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as Unai Emery berated him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his displays were an indicator or the reason of the side's more general malaise.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

This weekend, in contrast, the touchline reaction was much more joyous. After Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to restore Villa's lead, Emery discarded his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row , having failed to win their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves just three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Challengers?

It remains a rather hard proposition to address. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant this season, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.

As per Opta, in only two games have Villa registered an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a team who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look strangely fragile – however currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with the opposition and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with a couple of crisp finishes. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and again when facing United.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, arced right inside the goal frame from a wide position. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slight scruffier version of the opener capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opponents registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

A statistical correction could be the most significant challenge the club have to face as the season progresses. The forward, surely, cannot maintain drilling the football into the top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent might become the performer he resembled in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would be third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial player for the national team.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed for the very reason that it appears so improbable. As the hero positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.