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It was 60 days in the past that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as his coach berated him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained if his displays were a symptom or the source of the side'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. When the in-form star swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore Villa's lead, Emery discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club marched on to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their opening six games, now sit just three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Title Contenders?

That’s an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. The historical record, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding during this run, while the victories have stacked up.

Per Opta, in only two games have Villa had an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a team which has just won ten consecutive victories, Villa appear strangely fragile – yet currently the fine lines are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy seems to be to trade blows with rivals and then rely on their star man to save the day with a couple of precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and again when facing the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from an exquisite effort, curled precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second was essentially 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. Against United, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the greatest opponent the club must confront as the season progresses. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling the football into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is another reality where, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker might resume finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he showed during his peak.
• The defensive duo are set to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the potential of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought the team would sit third at Christmas. And certainly two months ago, few could imagine the young forward now would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital England player.

The current run should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. As the match-winner positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and must be appreciated.