Morgan Rogers' Rich Vein of Form Fuels The Villans' Surprising Title Charge

It was two months in the past when the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while the Villa manager scolded him for missing a penetrating pass. Back then, as Villa went six without a win, doubts remained whether his displays were a symptom or the reason of the side's more general malaise.

In the latest match, however, the manager's outburst was entirely decidedly more positive. After the England international swept in his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss discarded his coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa were on their way to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their opening six games, now sit only three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard proposition to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of this institution, argues against it. Furthermore, they have not been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the wins have accumulated.

According to Opta, twice all season have Villa registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side who have put together a ten-match winning streak, they look curiously susceptible – yet currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy seems to be to trade blows with an opponent and wait for Rogers to rescue them with a couple of crisp finishes. This was the case away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and it happened when facing the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opponents managed more shots and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge the club have to face as the season progresses. Their key man, almost certainly, will not continue to thrashing the ball into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be a different scenario where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The winger could transform into the force he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the possibility for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable the team would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder now would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

This winning streak is to be savoured precisely because it appears so improbable. When the match-winner positioned himself before the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and must be appreciated.