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It was eight weeks ago that Morgan Rogers stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as his coach berated him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, the question was if his performances were a sign or the reason of the team's wider issues.

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

In the latest match, though, the manager's outburst was entirely decidedly more positive. After the England international drilled in his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win , having failed to win their opening six games, find themselves a mere three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Challengers?

That’s a rather hard proposition to resolve. History, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, even as the wins have stacked up.

As per Opta, twice all season has the team registered an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a team who have put together ten consecutive victories, Villa appear weirdly vulnerable – but at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The current approach looks like to trade blows with rivals and wait for their talisman to save the day with two clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and it happened versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal originated from a superb shot, curled right inside the post from a wide position. For his second proved to be 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, Manchester United had more efforts and more efforts on goal. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those games.

Regression to the mean might be the most significant challenge they must confront over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, will not continue to drilling his shots into the top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists another reality whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent could transform into the player he showed during his peak.
• The defensive duo are set to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine the young forward by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

This winning streak should be enjoyed precisely because it seems so surreal. As the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful when the game ended leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and should be relished.