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It was 60 days ago that Morgan Rogers stood on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery admonished him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a sign or the source of the side's wider issues.

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

On Sunday, however, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. As the in-form star curled home his second to restore Villa's lead, Emery tore off his jacket, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, find themselves just three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?

That’s a rather hard proposition to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of this institution, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding during this run, while the positive results have piled up.

Per Opta, twice all season has the team had an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a side which has just won 10 in a row, the Villans seem curiously susceptible – yet at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on Rogers to rescue them with a couple of precise efforts. It happened at Leeds, it occurred in London, and once more against the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal came from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

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

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. Against United, the opponents had more shots and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those matches.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival they have to face as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, will not continue to thrashing the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists a different scenario whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought Rogers as the year closed would be leading a title charge and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the hero faced the home supporters at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.