Morgan Rogers' Golden Spell Drives Villa's Surprising Push for Glory

It was eight weeks in the past when the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager admonished him over missing a through-ball. During that period, as Villa went six without a win, the question was if his performances were a symptom or the source for Villa's wider issues.

This weekend, though, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. When Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The Birmingham club continued to a 10th successive win and after failing to win any of their first six matches, find themselves only three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard query to answer. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, they have not been completely commanding in many games, even as the wins have accumulated.

Per the data, in only two games has the side had an xG notably superior than the other team. For a team who have put together a ten-match winning streak, Villa seem strangely fragile – but right now the fine lines are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for their talisman to bail them out with two crisp finishes. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more versus United.

His opener came from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a slight scruffier version of his first capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

How Long Can This Continue?

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

Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival the club must confront as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot keep on thrashing the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• The main striker could start scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he resembled during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable the team would sit third at Christmas. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned Rogers now would be leading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential England player.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. As the hero faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.