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A mere 60 days in the past when Morgan Rogers was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery berated him over missing a through-ball. Back then, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his performances were an indicator or the reason for the side's wider issues.

“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 proved to be much more joyous. As the England international curled home his second strike to reclaim the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , despite not winning any of their first six games, now sit a mere three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough query to answer. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.

As per the data, on just two occasions has the side had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a side who have strung together ten consecutive victories, the Villans look curiously susceptible – but at the moment the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and then rely on their star man to bail them out with two precise efforts. This was the case away to Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more when facing Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal came from a brilliant finish, arced right inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of the opener as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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. In the recent win, the opposition had a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the net's top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists a different scenario in which, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
• The winger may rediscover the force he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to return from injury, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this is a surprise. Few believed Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a hunt for the title while looking like an essential player for the national team.

The current run should be enjoyed for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the hero stood in front of the North End after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.