Morgan Rogers' Scoring Streak Propels Aston Villa's Unlikely Push for Glory

Just eight weeks prior when the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed while his coach berated him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his performances were a symptom or a cause of Villa's wider issues.

On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction was entirely far more favourable. When the in-form star curled home his brace-sealing goal to restore his side's advantage, Emery tore off his coat, opened his arms and roared. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, find themselves only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard question to answer. History, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, while the wins have piled up.

According to the data, twice all season has the team posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side which has strung together 10 in a row, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – but currently the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping their talisman to rescue them with two clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it happened in London, and once more when facing United.

The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, bent just inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those games.

A reversion to average might be the greatest opponent the club must confront over the coming weeks. Their key man, almost certainly, will not continue to blasting the football into the top corner week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists an alternative path in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players could still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker could start adding to his goal tally.
• The winger may rediscover the player he resembled in Germany.
• The defensive duo are set to return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.

This could contain the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a crucial player for the national team.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. As the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.