Morgan Rogers' Scoring Streak Fuels Aston Villa's Improbable Title Charge

Just eight weeks in the past when the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his performances were a sign or a cause of the side's broader struggles.

On Sunday, in contrast, the sideline response proved to be far more favourable. As the in-form star curled home his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. The team continued to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, find themselves only three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Challengers?

It remains a rather hard query to resolve. History, the perceived status of this institution, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant during this run, while the wins have piled up.

As per the data, in only two games have Villa posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club that have strung together ten consecutive victories, the Villans look curiously susceptible – however currently the fine lines are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for their talisman to bail them out with some clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it occurred in London, and it happened against Manchester United.

His opener stemmed from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the post from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all but one of those matches.

A statistical correction may well be the biggest rival the club must confront in the near future. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on drilling the ball into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, rather than luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he showed in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, but they surely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, nobody expected this. 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 now would be leading a hunt for the title and appearing as an essential England player.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it appears so improbable. When the match-winner faced the North End after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.