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Just eight weeks prior that the young forward was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager berated him for missing a through-ball. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a sign or the source of Villa's wider issues.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely much more joyous. As the in-form star drilled in his second strike to restore his side's advantage, Emery tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and roared. Villa were on their way to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their opening six matches, are somehow a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?

It remains an exceptionally difficult query to answer. History, the traditional standing of this institution, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been entirely convincing in many games, while the victories have piled up.

According to Opta, in only two games has the side registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team which has put together 10 in a row, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – however right now the margins are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach looks like to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on their star man to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more against Manchester United.

The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, bent right inside the post from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one 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.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opponents registered more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those games.

A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent the club will encounter in the near future. The forward, surely, cannot maintain thrashing the football into the top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• The main striker might resume scoring again.
• The winger might become the player he resembled during his peak.
• The defensive duo are due to regain fitness, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable defence.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought the midfielder now would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like a vital player for the national team.

The current run should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. When the hero faced the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and must be appreciated.