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A mere eight weeks ago when Morgan Rogers was standing on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager admonished him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause of Villa's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, however, the sideline response proved to be much more joyous. After the England international drilled in his second to restore his side's advantage, the boss discarded his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to a 10th successive win , having failed to win their opening six matches, now sit just three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard question to resolve. History, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the positive results have accumulated.

As per Opta, on just two occasions have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club who have put together 10 in a row, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The current approach looks like to exchange chances with the opposition and wait for Rogers to bail them out with two clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more versus the Red Devils.

His opener came from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second was essentially a slight scruffier version of goal number one as he seized 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. In the recent win, Manchester United managed more efforts and more direct attempts. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction could be the most significant challenge the club have to face in the near future. Their key man, surely, cannot maintain drilling the football into the top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players could still find their top level.

• The centre-forward could start adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are due to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And certainly two months ago, few could imagine Rogers now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial Three Lions star.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the match-winner stood in front of the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and must be appreciated.