Morgan Rogers' Rich Vein of Form Fuels Aston Villa's Improbable Title Charge

A mere two months prior that the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. Back then, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained if his displays were a sign or a cause for Villa's wider issues.

In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. As the England international drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss ripped off his jacket, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The team were on their way to ten wins in a row , having failed to win their opening six fixtures, now sit only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Serious Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard question to answer. History, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, while the wins have stacked up.

As per the data, in only two games has the side posted an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a team which has strung together 10 in a row, they look strangely fragile – but at the moment the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to trade blows with rivals and then rely on Rogers to bail them out with some precise efforts. This was the case away to Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again against the Red Devils.

His opener stemmed from a brilliant finish, arced just inside the post from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on a pass from Watkins.

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United had more shots and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent the club have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the top corner week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is an alternative path where, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The winger might become the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are set to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt two months ago, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a title charge while establishing himself as an essential England player.

The current run must be cherished exactly since it appears so improbable. As the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.