This Remarkable Golden Spell Drives Aston Villa's Surprising Championship Bid

It was eight weeks in the past when the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager admonished him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. Back then, as the club went six without a win, the question was if Rogers' form were a symptom or the source of Villa's wider issues.

In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction was far more favourable. When the in-form star curled home his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery tore off his jacket, threw his arms wide and bellowed. Villa continued to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their opening six games, find themselves a mere three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?

This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to answer. History, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been wholly dominant in many games, while the wins have piled up.

Per statistical analysis, in only two games have Villa had an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a club that have strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to save the day with two crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more versus United.

Rogers' first goal originated from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the post from a wide position. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opposition had more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those matches.

A statistical correction may well be the biggest rival Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling the ball past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker could start scoring again.
• The winger may rediscover the player he showed during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As Rogers positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.