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A mere 60 days in the past when Morgan Rogers stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager admonished him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether his displays were a symptom or the source for Villa's more general malaise.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

On Sunday, though, the touchline reaction proved to be far more favourable. As the England international curled home his second to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning their opening six fixtures, find themselves only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard proposition to answer. History, the perceived status of this institution, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding in many games, even as the victories have accumulated.

According to Opta, on just two occasions has the team registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side who have put together ten consecutive victories, Villa seem weirdly vulnerable – but at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again versus United.

The initial strike originated from a superb shot, arced right inside the upright from a wide position. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first 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.”

Can It Last?

Logic says not. Against United, the opposition had a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. The team has won each of their last eight by just one goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those matches.

Regression to the mean could be the most significant challenge Villa will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on thrashing his shots into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists another reality in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures might still find their top level.

• The main striker could start adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are due to regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential England player.

This remarkable period must be cherished exactly since it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.