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A mere two months prior when Morgan Rogers was standing on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as his coach admonished him for missing a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays were a sign or the source of the team's broader struggles.

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

This weekend, however, the sideline response proved to be decidedly more positive. As Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa were on their way to ten wins in a row and having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, now sit only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Hopefuls?

That’s an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. The historical record, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, even as the positive results have stacked up.

According to statistical analysis, on just two occasions have Villa had an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club that have strung together 10 in a row, the Villans seem weirdly vulnerable – however currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach appears to be to trade blows with rivals and wait for their talisman to bail them out with some precise efforts. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and it happened when facing United.

His opener came from a superb shot, arced right inside the post from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slight scruffier version of goal number one capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United managed more efforts and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.

A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent they have to face in the near future. Their key man, in all likelihood, will not continue to blasting his shots past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The winger might become the force he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, nobody thought the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential Three Lions star.

This winning streak must be cherished exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form do not happen often and must be appreciated.