This Remarkable Golden Spell Propels The Villans' Unlikely Title Charge

Just eight weeks ago when the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery admonished him for missing a through-ball. At that point, with the team endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause of the team's wider issues.

This weekend, however, the sideline response proved to be far more favourable. After the England international curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, find themselves just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Challengers?

This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to address. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, argues against it. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant this season, despite the fact the victories have stacked up.

As per the data, twice all season have Villa registered an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a club who have just won 10 in a row, Villa look curiously susceptible – but at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to save the day with two clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more versus United.

The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the upright from the edge of the area. For his second acted as a slight scruffier version of the opener capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

Can It Last?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opponents managed a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean might be the greatest opponent Villa have to face as the season progresses. The forward, surely, cannot keep on thrashing his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists a different scenario where, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still find their top level.

• The main striker might resume scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the player he resembled during his peak.
• The defensive duo are due to return from injury, fortifying a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would be third at Christmas. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it appears so improbable. As Rogers stood in front of the North End after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.