🔗 Share this article

It was eight weeks in the past that Morgan Rogers stood on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery berated him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were a sign or a cause of Villa's wider issues.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

This weekend, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. As Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa continued to a 10th successive win and after failing to win any of their first six matches, are somehow just three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough proposition to address. History, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Moreover, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, even as the positive results have accumulated.

According to Opta, twice all season has the team registered an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a club that have put together 10 in a row, Villa look curiously susceptible – yet right now the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with rivals and wait for Rogers to bail them out with two clinical strikes. This occurred against Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again when facing United.

His opener stemmed from an exquisite effort, arced precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. For his second acted as a somewhat messier replica of his first 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opponents managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. They have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival Villa have to face in the near future. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain blasting the football into the top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is an alternative path in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The winger may rediscover the player he resembled during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, fortifying a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. Few believed Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while looking like a crucial player for the national team.

This winning streak is to be savoured for the very reason that it appears so improbable. As Rogers faced the North End at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These runs of form do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.