Morgan Rogers' Scoring Streak Propels The Villans' Surprising Title Charge

It was eight weeks in the past that the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager berated him over not reading a through-ball. During that period, as the club went six without a win, the question was whether his performances were a sign or the source of Villa's wider issues.

On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. As the in-form star swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his winter coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa continued to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their initial half-dozen fixtures, find themselves just three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Serious Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard question to resolve. History, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been entirely convincing this season, even as the positive results have piled up.

Per Opta, on just two occasions has the team posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a team which has strung together 10 in a row, Villa appear strangely fragile – but currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their talisman to save the day with a couple of precise efforts. This was the case against Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a slight scruffier version of goal number one capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

Can It Last?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opponents registered a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. The team has won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all except one of those matches.

A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent the club will encounter as the season progresses. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists a different scenario in which, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho might become the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are set to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential England player.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As Rogers stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and must be appreciated.