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Just 60 days in the past that Morgan Rogers was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery berated him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. During that period, with the team failed to win in six, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the source for the side's wider issues.

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

This weekend, though, the touchline reaction was much more joyous. When the in-form star curled home his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and bellowed. Villa were on their way to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, are somehow only three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Challengers?

That’s a rather hard query to answer. The historical record, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, even as the positive results have piled up.

As per Opta, on just two occasions has the side had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club which has put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem curiously susceptible – but currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for their talisman to save the day with a couple of precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and once more when facing United.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a somewhat messier replica of the opener capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“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.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opponents registered a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent they have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, will not continue to drilling the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• The winger might become the force he was during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

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

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, nobody thought Rogers now would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital England player.

This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle leading the celebrations, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and should be relished.