This Remarkable Golden Spell Propels Villa's Improbable Title Charge

Just eight weeks in the past when Morgan Rogers found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while the Villa manager berated him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained if his displays were an indicator or the source of the side's more general malaise.

In the latest match, in contrast, the sideline response proved to be far more favourable. When the England international drilled in his second strike to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to a 10th successive win and having failed to win any of their first six matches, now sit only three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?

This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. Past precedent, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, even as the victories have piled up.

As per statistical analysis, twice all season has the side posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, Villa seem strangely fragile – however right now the margins are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on Rogers to bail them out with two crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again versus United.

His opener originated from a superb shot, curled right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opponents had more efforts and more direct attempts. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction might be the most significant challenge Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be a different scenario where, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet return to peak condition.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he showed in Germany.
• The defensive duo are due to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.

This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And without a doubt two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital England player.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. When the match-winner positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and should be relished.