This Remarkable Scoring Streak Drives Aston Villa's Improbable Push for Glory

A mere two months prior that the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager admonished him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa went six without a win, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason for Villa's more general malaise.

On Sunday, though, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. After the in-form star curled home his second to restore the lead for Villa, the boss tore off his coat, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa continued to a 10th successive win , despite not winning any of their first six games, find themselves just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Challengers?

That’s a particularly tough proposition to address. History, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding during this run, even as the positive results have stacked up.

According to Opta, on just two occasions have Villa registered an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a team which has strung together ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the margins are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred against Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and once more when facing Manchester United.

The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, arced just inside the post from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of goal number one capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, Manchester United managed more shots and more shots on target. The team has won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the greatest opponent they have to face in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, will not continue to drilling the football into the top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists another reality where, rather than luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward could start finding the net regularly.
• The winger might become the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers as the year closed would be spearheading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential England player.

The current run is to be savoured for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As Rogers positioned himself before the Villa faithful when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.