This Remarkable Scoring Streak Fuels Villa's Unlikely Push for Glory

It was two months prior that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while the Villa manager berated him for not reading a pass in behind. Back then, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his displays were an indicator or the reason of Villa's wider issues.

This weekend, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be decidedly more positive. After the in-form star drilled in his second strike to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row and after failing to win any of their first six fixtures, find themselves a mere three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?

It remains a rather hard proposition to answer. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, argues against it. Furthermore, their performances haven't been completely commanding during this run, even as the wins have stacked up.

Per statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the team had an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a team who have put together 10 in a row, they seem curiously susceptible – however right now the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach looks like to exchange chances with rivals before hoping their star man to rescue them with some clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it occurred in London, and again against Manchester United.

His opener stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opposition registered more shots and more direct attempts. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those games.

A reversion to average could be the most significant challenge they must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins could start adding to his goal tally.
• The winger may rediscover the force he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are set to return from injury, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable backline.

This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. Few believed Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And certainly earlier this season, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as a crucial player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it appears so improbable. As Rogers stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and must be appreciated.