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It was 60 days prior that Morgan Rogers stood on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while Unai Emery scolded him for not reading a penetrating pass. Back then, as the club failed to win in six, the question was if Rogers' form were a sign or the source of 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 was far more favourable. After the England international curled home his second to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery discarded his jacket, spread his arms and roared. The team were on their way to a 10th successive win and having failed to win their opening six matches, are somehow only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Title Contenders?

It remains a rather hard query to answer. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Furthermore, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, while the victories have accumulated.

According to Opta, on just two occasions has the team registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team who have just won 10 in a row, they appear weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach looks like to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to rescue them with two clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and it happened versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a brilliant finish, arced just inside the post from the edge of the area. For his second was essentially a slight scruffier version of the opener 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those games.

A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent the club must confront in the near future. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling the ball into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be a different scenario in which, rather than luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players could still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he showed during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, fortifying a sometimes shaky backline.

This could contain the potential of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this is a surprise. Few believed Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine the young forward now would be spearheading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital Three Lions star.

This remarkable period must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner faced the Villa faithful when the game ended conducting the cheers, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.