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A mere two months prior that Morgan Rogers was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager admonished him over missing a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his performances were a sign or a cause of the team's more general malaise.

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

In the latest match, however, the manager's outburst was entirely much more joyous. As the in-form star drilled in his second to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery tore off his jacket, opened his arms and roared. The team marched on to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win any of their first six games, find themselves just three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

That’s an exceptionally difficult query to answer. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been completely commanding during this run, despite the fact the victories have accumulated.

According to Opta, on just two occasions has the team registered an xG notably superior than the other team. For a team which has put together ten consecutive victories, they appear weirdly vulnerable – yet right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on their talisman to rescue them with two crisp finishes. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and it happened versus Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, curled precisely inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he pounced 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?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition managed more efforts and more shots on target. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all except one of those matches.

A reversion to average may well be the greatest opponent Villa must confront over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting his shots into the top corner week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists another reality where, rather than luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players may yet return to peak condition.

• The main striker might resume scoring again.
• The winger could transform into the player he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Maybe within that lies the possibility for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would occupy third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine the midfielder now would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as a crucial player for the national team.

This winning streak is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. When the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.