This Remarkable Rich Vein of Form Drives Villa's Surprising Push for Glory

Just two months in the past that the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as Unai Emery scolded him over not reading a through-ball. At that point, with the team went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause of the side's more general malaise.

On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be decidedly more positive. As the England international swept in his second to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss discarded his jacket, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club marched on to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, now sit just three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?

It remains an exceptionally difficult question to answer. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.

As per the data, in only two games have Villa had an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a side who have strung together ten consecutive victories, they appear strangely fragile – yet currently the margins are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with rivals and wait for their talisman to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired in London, and again when facing United.

His opener originated from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the post from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he seized on a pass from Watkins.

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.

Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival they have to face over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, cannot maintain blasting the ball into the top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins could start scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.

This could contain the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this is a surprise. Few believed the team would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine the young forward as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. As the hero faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle leading the celebrations, it was clear to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.