The Astonishing Golden Spell Drives Villa's Improbable Championship Bid

Just two months ago that the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery admonished him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason for the team's more general malaise.

On Sunday, however, the sideline response was entirely decidedly more positive. When the England international swept in his second to restore the lead for Villa, Emery tore off his jacket, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and after failing to win any of their first six fixtures, now sit only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Challengers?

This is a rather hard proposition to answer. History, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing in many games, while the victories have stacked up.

Per Opta, twice all season has the team registered an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a club who have strung together ten consecutive victories, the Villans look curiously susceptible – but currently the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for their star man to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and it happened versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal originated from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. The follow-up goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of goal number one capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, Manchester United registered more efforts and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.

Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival Villa must confront over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, rather than luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures may yet rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the performer he showed in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, this was unforeseen. Few believed Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital Three Lions star.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it seems so surreal. As the match-winner stood in front of the North End when the game ended orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and must be appreciated.